


You Were Meant For Me

by xtremeroswellian



Category: Roswell (TV 1999)
Genre: Alien nonsense, Awesome Kyle Valenti, BAMF Maria DeLuca, Brainwashing, Diane Evans is a good mom, Dreamsharing, F/M, FBI, If you like Tess you probably won't like this fic, Kidnapping, Legends, Michael and Maria are schemers, Michael has visions, Michael is a good boyfriend, Mugging Gone Wrong, Mythology - Freeform, No actual sexual assault, Prophecies, Protective Alex Whitman, Protective Michael Guerin, Roadtrips, Spoilers for most of season one, Super AU, good parents, mild violence, threats of sexual assault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:15:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 43,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23776708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian
Relationships: Diane Evans & Isabel Evans, Diane Evans & Max Evans, Isabel Evans/Alex Whitman, Liz Parker & Diane Evans, Liz Parker & Isabel Evans, Maria DeLuca & Liz Parker & Alex Whitman, Maria DeLuca/Michael Guerin, Max Evans/Liz Parker, Max Evans/Tess Harding
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

"The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible."

-Clarke's Second Law

"That was an awful movie," Alex commented as he and Liz walked down the street that night after watching Down to You.

"Yeah, it was," she agreed.

"But at least if got our minds off the Evans' for awhile, which was the goal."

"True."

Alex glanced down at her and quickly realized that he shouldn't have mentioned the word 'Evans,' as he took note of the sad expression on his friend's face. He touched her arm. "Sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up."

"It's okay," she assured him.They walked awhile in silence, the cold night air causing both of them to shiver. Then suddenly, three men, probably all in their mid-twenties stepped out of the shadows in the alley and glared at them. Liz and Alex stood side-by-side, staring fearfully.

"What's up, guys?" Alex asked, voice tense.

"Empty your pockets," one of the men commanded.

Alex and Liz both quickly did as told and then one of the men took their money. Then he let his eyes roam Liz's body. His lips curled into a smile as he stepped towards her. Alex maneuvered himself in front of her. "You got what you wanted, now leave us alone."

"I haven't got everything I wanted yet," the man said, glancing at Liz again.

Alex stepped up to him, anger replacing fear. "And you're not going to, either!"

"Move aside, kid," he commanded, shoving Alex aside.

The man moved towards Liz, licking his lips as the other two men watched. Liz felt an anger rise up within her, but before she could do anything, Alex grabbed the guy. "Don't even think about it!" he growled. The other two guys sprang forward, grabbing Alex. "Liz, run!" he shouted as the guys tackled him to the ground.

Liz's heart started racing. She saw a knife flash through the air. A scream ripped through her throat. "No!" She rushed forward, grasping onto one of the men's shoulders and throwing him backwards with more strength than she ever knew she embodied.

"What the fuck!" the guy shouted, falling hard.

She heard Alex cry out and saw the dark splotches on the knife. Her eyes widened in horror. "Alex!"

The other two men rose to their feet. "Let's get out of here!" The three of them took off running.

Liz instantly dropped to Alex's side, and pulled his coat open, revealing the stab wound to his chest. "Oh, my God!" she cried. Alex was trying to breathe. Liz didn't even feel the tears as they fell on her cheeks. She pressed her hand over the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. Suddenly images, memories, exploded into Liz's mind.

*She and Alex in Mr. Raddish's fifth grade class, cleaning erasers.

*She and Alex and Maria playing on the playground in the park when they were kids.

*Alex's face as she told him about Max, Michael and Isabel.

*Alex star-gazing with Isabel

*Alex playing the guitar at the dance club the night of her blind date.

And just as quickly as the memories and flashes began, they ended. Liz shook her head, and pressed down onto the knife wound in her friend's chest. But to Liz's surprise, Alex was staring up at her, wide-eyed. "Liz," he said, his voice shaky. He struggled to sit up.

"Don't try to talk, Alex. I'm going to call for an ambulance," she said quickly, pushing him down gently.

"I don't think that's going to be necessary," he said, holding onto her arm as he sat up. He glanced down at his chest.

Liz stared. The wound was gone. The blood had disappeared. The only thing that remained were the tears in his shirt and coat. "What..." her voice trailed off.

Alex shook his head. "Liz...You healed me."

"But...that's not possible, Alex, how...how...can that be possible?" she protested, stammering.

Alex looked into her eyes and she finally met his gaze. "I don't know. "

"Maybe you didn't really get stabbed," she said.

He looked down at the tear in his shirt, and then his gaze fell on something else. He pointed to the object laying a foot away. "I think we can discard that theory."

Liz turned to look. Her eyes widened as she spotted the bloody knife. "Oh God," she whispered. Then she passed out.


	2. Chapter 2

"...fate may be forseen unacknowledged..."

-Pearl S. Buck

You Were Meant For Me (Part 2)

Alex knelt down beside Liz, who was unconscious. He touched her face. "Liz! Liz, can you hear me?" He stared down at her, his heart racing. What if those guys came back? He had to get them out of there, and quick.

His gaze travelled to the bloody knife just a foot away. He had to take it with them. If he left it there, and someone found it, they could figure out it was his blood, and how was he going to explain that yes, he had gotten stabbed, but his best friend had healed him with a touch? His mind swirled with a million thoughts as he quickly picked up the knife, wincing at the sight of the blood. He shuddered and stuck it in his jeans pocket. It would have to do for now.

Alex knelt back down and gently gathered Liz in his arms, and stood up. Alex may not have been as built as Max or Michael, but carrying Liz wasn't a problem for him. He swallowed hard as he gazed down at her, her face pale and her head rolled back. He sucked in a breath. "Okay, Liz. We're going to be just fine," he said quietly. Then he took off down the street, carrying his unconscious best friend the whole way.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maria was lying in bed, staring up at the cieling, wondering when her mother was going to get home from her date with Sheriff Valenti, when her telephone rang. She sat up, startled, and reached for the reciever. "Hello?" she asked, glancing at her clock. It was 11:21. Who would be calling her at that time of night?

"Maria, it's Alex. Something's happened, and I need you to come over to my house right now," he said, his voice quiet, but something about the way he said it frightened her.

"What's wrong?" she asked immediatly.

"It's Liz."

Maria's heart filled with fear. "What happened to her?"

"Not over the phone. Please, just get over here and don't ask questions," he pleaded.

"I'll be right there," she promised. She hung up the phone. Then Maria leapt out of bed, threw on an old sweatshirt over her t-shirt and grabbed her car keys. She scribbled a note telling her mother she was at Alex's with him and Liz. Then she raced out the front door.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alex placed a cool wash rag on Liz's forehead, staring at her worriedly. She'd been unconscious for over a half-hour now. Alex's gaze fell on the telephone and he couldn't decide whether to call the person that came to mind or not.

He wanted to, she might be able to help. But the other part of him told him not to do anything until Maria got there. Where was she? He'd called her ten minutes ago and the drive from her house to his was less than that. "Come on, DeLuca," he muttered, standing up and starting to pace. He kept glancing back at Liz, who hadn't even moved since he had gently placed her on his bed.

Thank God his parents were gone to his aunt's for the weekend. What would they do? Call 911? Sheriff Valenti? He didn't know, and he didn't want to find out.

He raced out of his bedroom at the sound of the doorbell. He unlocked the door and threw it open. "Man, am I glad to see you," he told Maria as she pushed past him.

"What's going on? What's wrong with Liz?" Maria asked anxiously.

Alex motioned for her to follow him and she hurried down the hall behind him. She stepped into Alex's bedroom, her eyes widening in horror as she saw Liz's unconscious figure lying on the bed. "Oh, my God!"

"She passed out."

Maria hurried to her friend's side. "Liz! Liz, can you hear me?" she whispered, but Liz didn't respond.

"She's been out of it for almost an hour now."

Maria turned to face him. "Why the hell haven't you called 911?" she demanded.

"Do you really want to know?" he asked.

She blinked in confusion. "Of course I want to know!"

"Then you'd better sit down," Alex warned her.

"Why do I need to sit down, Alex? What are you not telling me?"

"Liz and I were walking home from a movie and we got mugged. One of the guys pulled a knife."

Maria's eyes widened in shock. "What!"

"I got stabbed."

"Oh, God! Are you all right? Did you go to the hospital?" she asked, hurrying to his eyes, checking for the wound.

"I didn't need to." Alex looked over at Liz and then back to Maria. He sucked in a deep breath. "Liz healed me."

Maria started to laugh.

"I'm serious."

She looked at the expression on his face and then her eyes travelled to his shirt, where it was slashed. The color drained from her face as she looked over to her unconscious friend. "Oh. My. God." She sat down on his desk, hard, blinking rapidly.

"Are you all right?" Alex asked worriedly, touching her arm.

She drew in a ragged breath. "Jesus," she whispered. "What now? What do we do? I mean, Liz can't be an alien...She's been to the hospital before, nothing different was ever detected in her blood, or when she had her appendix out. So there has to be another explanation, right?"

He nodded in agreement. "Right. But right now, we need to concentrate on waking her up."

Maria bit her lip. "I'm going to call Michael. Maybe he can help."

"Okay," Alex said, sitting down on the bed next to Liz. He closed his eyes briefly and listened as Maria dialed the telephone.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She was there, standing in the middle of a large, white circle. Michael locked eyes with her. "Who are you?"

The girl smiled at him, but didn't respond. She waved her hands in the air and spun around several times, never tripping once.

A voice whispered, "Tiponi."

"What?" Michael demanded, looking around to see who had spoken. There was no one there except him and the little girl.

"Tiponi," the voice said again.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael sat up on his fold-out couch bed as a loud noise awakened him from his dream. Annoyed, he grabbed the receiver. "What?" he growled.

"M-Michael?"

He recognized her voice immediatly and he closed his eyes, his voice losing a bit of its edge. "Yeah?"

"I need your help."

Michael opened his eyes and looked at the clock on the wall. 12:01 a.m. "Can't sleep?"

There was a pause. "Something's...something's happened."

He shifted and kicked the covers off him. Something in her voice frightened him. "Are you all right? Are you hurt?" he asked sharply.

"No, I'm...at Alex's house. Michael, please. We need your help," she begged. Her voice sounded almost tearful and his heart clenched.

"Okay. I'll be right there." He didn't give her a chance to say anything more, he just hung up the phone and got dressed. Then he hurried out the door.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where's Maria?" Michael Guerin demanded the second Alex opened the front door to let him in.

"She's in back with Liz." Alex pointed him in the direction of his room and Michael didn't wait for an invitation.

He all but ran to the back of the house, opening the door that was already open a crack. "Maria?"

She was sitting on the bed next to Liz. His eyes searched her, looking for signs of injury or harm. But there was none. And then his eyes met hers. "It's Liz," she whispered, tears filling her eyes.

Michael crossed the room to her and looked down at Liz. She was unconscious, and paler than he could ever remember seeing anyone. "What happened?"

"She's been unconscious for over an hour, Michael. Can you do something?" Maria asked with pleading eyes.

His gaze went from Maria to Liz and then back to Maria. "I--I can't heal people like the others. Just broken bones...but not...not stuff like this." He shook his head. "I don't exactly have complete control over my powers."

Maria just nodded. She gripped onto Liz's hand tightly. "I'm scared, Michael," she said softly.

The words startled him. Never in his life had he heard those words from Maria DeLuca. Spitfire Maria DeLuca who used to get into as many fights as he did in elementary school and junior high. He touched her shoulder. "I'll call Max and Isabel."

"Thank you," she whispered.

Michael reached for the telephone. He quickly dialed the number he'd had memorized since third grade, when he'd been reunited with his siblings. On the third ring, he heard Max's sleepy voice mumble, "Hello?"

"Maxwell, it's me. Get Isabel and get over to Alex's house now."

"What?"

Michael looked back at Liz and Maria. "Just do it. And hurry."


	3. Chapter 3

"Man must cease attributing his problems to his enviroment, and learn again to excercise his will--his personal responsibility in the realm of faith and morals."

-Albert Scheweitzer

You Were Meant For Me (Part 3)

"What's going on, Michael?" Isabel demanded as she followed Max into Alex's house. She hated having her beauty sleep interrupted.

Michael met her eyes for a moment and then turned his gaze to Max. "It's Liz."

Max stared at him. "What happened?"

"She's unconscious."

Without hearing another word, Max moved past him and hurried to the back of the house. He stepped inside Alex's bedroom, his eyes meeting Alex's for a moment, and then Maria's. Then his gaze rested on Liz's still figure. He sucked in a breath and moved to her side. "What happened?" he demanded, looking back and forth between Alex and Maria.

Alex and Maria exchanged a glance. "We got mugged tonight," Alex began.

Max's eyes widened in horror and he touched Liz's arm. "Liz?" he whispered.

"Oh, my God!" Isabel exclaimed as she walked into the room. She hurried to Liz's other side. "What happened?"

"They were mugged," Max said grimly, touching Liz's face gently.

Isabel swallowed hard. "She's so pale..."

"There's a little more to what happened tonight, actually," Maria spoke up.

Max, Isabel and Michael all turned their heads to stare at her. "What do you mean?" Michael asked.

Maria glanced at Alex. "Do you want me to tell them?"

"No, I'll...I'll do it. I was with her." Alex drew in a deep breath. "These three guys jumped us when we were walking home from a movie. One of the guys pulled a knife, and--"

At the word knife, Max immediatly dropped his gaze back to Liz, searching her for signs of injury. "Why didn't you call an ambulance?" Max demanded. "Did she get cut?"

"No. Uh--I did."

"Are you all right?" Isabel asked immediatly, her eyes widening.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm okay. It's just..." Alex picked up the shirt he'd changed out of before they'd arrived and handed it to her.

Isabel took the shirt, and was startled to see the slash in the chest area of the shirt. A few dark spots surrounded it. "Is this--is this blood?" She lifted her eyes to meet his. Alex nodded slowly and Isabel dropped the shirt and moved over to him. "Take your shirt off. Let me heal it," she said.

"There's, uh, nothing to heal."

"What do you mean?" Michael asked, examining the shirt. He suddenly had a very vivid flash of a knife being brought down into Alex's chest and for a moment he could even feel the pain that had sliced through him. He dropped the shirt. "Jesus! You didn't get cut, you got stabbed!"

Isabel's eyes widened more. "What?"

"What the hell happened tonight, Alex?" Michael demanded.

Alex met Isabel's gaze. "I got stabbed in the chest. I was dying. And Liz put her hands over the wound, and..." He raised his shirt to reveal the perfect skin. "...and the wound just-disappeared."

Michael's mouth dropped open and Isabel gasped. Then they both turned to stare at Liz, still lying unconscious on the bed. Max stared down at her, as well. "Oh, my God," Michael whispered.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Liz's head pounded and all she could see was fuzziness...and then things began to get clear again. She heard someone calling her name. "Liz! Liz? Can you hear me? Liz!"

She winced as she tried to move, and then felt a slight pressure as whoever it was pushed her back down gently. "Where am I?" she mumbled.

"Liz? Hey, there. God, you scared the crap out of me!" another voice said. She felt a pressure on her hand.

"Alex?" she managed.

"Yeah, I'm here. DeLuca's here, too," he informed her.

"Hey, babe," she heard Maria say.

"Why's everything so blurry..."

"She's starting to come out of it," she heard someone else say. Was that Isabel? she wondered.

"Liz? You're all right now. It's all right," yet another voice told her. It was a voice she recognized beyond a doubt. An incredible feeling of deja vu washed over her.

Liz fought as hard as she could to see past the fogginess invading her vision. She could finally make out the figures around her: Alex was on one side of her, holding her hand, and Maria was standing over her, staring nervously. She thought she saw Isabel and Michael standing behind Alex. And Max Evans was sitting next to her on the bed, touching her forehead gently.

Liz blinked and tried to sit up. Alex quickly moved to help her. "Thanks," she said, wincing from the pounding in her head.

"How do you feel?" Maria asked anxiously.

Liz smiled weakly. "Okay."

Max breathed a sigh of relief that was echoed in the room. "Do you remember what happened?" he asked her.

Liz thought for a moment. "I remember going to see a movie with Alex. I remember we were starting to walk home and..." her voice trailed off as she turned her head to stare at Alex. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am thanks to you," Alex said, squeezing her hand again.

Liz closed her eyes. "I need something to drink." She threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, her knees buckling instantly.

Max caught her, wrapping his arms around her waist so she didn't fall. "Take it easy," he said softly. Liz stared up at him. He was so close to her. If she leaned up even an inch, their lips would be touching. She shoved the thought aside. He's with Tess now, she reminded herself. She blinked and turned away from his eyes. "Maria, can you get me a glass of water?" she asked.

"Sure thing," Maria replied, rushing out of the room.

Max helped her sit back down on the bed, keeping one arm around her waist to steady her. "You okay?"

"Of course. I'm fine." She moved away from him.

"So what happened tonight?" Michael asked impatiently, locking his gaze on hers.

Liz drew in a deep breath. "I don't know," she answered. She bit her lip and glanced at Max. "Unless..."

"Unless?" Isabel said quickly.

"Unless somehow in that one moment, I connected with Max and healed Alex," she said.

Max met her eyes. "What time did this happen?"

"About 11:00," Alex spoke up.

He nodded, realization dawning on him. "Isabel, remember when I told you I felt a drain on my energy?"

Isabel's eyes widened. "That's right! It was 11:00!"

"Of course. It makes perfect sense," Max agreed, turning to Liz again.

She nodded and forced a smile. Then she turned to look at Alex. "Guess I didn't save you after all."

Alex smiled at her. "Maybe not directly, but if you hadn't been there, I'd probably be dead right now."

She shook her head. "You wouldn't have gotten stabbed in the first place. The only reason it happened was because you were trying to stop them from--" Liz cut herself off and everyone was silent for a moment.

Then Maria walked back into the room. She handed Liz the glass of water. "Here you go."

"Thanks, Maria," she said.

"So what happened?" Maria asked, looking around the room from one person to another.

"Liz connected with Max. That's how she healed Alex," Isabel informed her.

"Oh." Maria paused, looking at Michael. "Michael? You okay?"

He turned to look at her. "Yeah," he answered flatly. He walked out of the room and everyone stared after him for a moment.

Isabel sat down next to Liz. "Are you okay?"

Liz glanced at her. Before she and Max had broken up, she and Isabel had started to become friends. But then things got too akward. And Isabel was friends with Tess, so that didn't help things, either. "Yeah. I'm fine. Thanks for your help," she said to Isabel and Max.

Isabel nodded, glancing over at Max. "We didn't leave Mom and Dad a note. We should get back home."

Max nodded in agreement and looked at Liz. "Are you sure you're okay? Is there anything we can do before we go?"

Liz shook her head. "No. Thanks."

Max stood up, hesitated, and then glanced down at Liz. "Liz..."

"Don't," she warned him softly. Their eyes met for a moment and he nodded. Then he left the room.

Isabel glanced at Alex, relief showing on her face. "I'm glad you're okay," she said quietly. Then she followed Max out the door.

Alex and Maria exchanged a look.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So you're just going to leave."

"Michael, there's nothing left to do. Liz is okay now. Alex is okay," Max said as he stood with Isabel and Michael on the Whitman's front yard.

Michael shook his head and stared up at the sky. "What's wrong with you, Max? Why all of a sudden do you care more about Tess than Liz?"

"Tess is his girlfriend, Michael," Isabel protested, at the same time Max said, "I do care about Liz!"

"Yeah, well you have a funny way of showing it."

"Why all of a sudden are you so for Max and Liz getting back together?" Isabel demanded.

Michael met her gaze. "Maybe because he risked everything to save her life. And now he's moved on to the next available girl and I can't help but worry he's going to--"

"Make the same mistake twice?" Max finished, staring at him.

"No," Michael replied. "Not what I was going to say." He looked back and forth to Max and Isabel. "Look, Liz is trustworthy. So are Maria and Alex. I don't trust Tess."

"You didn't trust them at first, either," Isabel pointed out.

"And you're saying you trust her enough to tell her?" Michael challenged.

Isabel closed her mouth and folded her arms across her chest. Max shook his head and looked away. "You don't even know her, Michael," he said evenly.

"I don't have to know her. You can't tell her, Max."

Max glared at him. "What makes you think I was going to?"

"Because I know you. You have to be completley honest with people!" Michael said angrily.

"Why are you so upset about me and Tess?" Max demanded.

Michael looked directly at him. "I think you're being an idiot, that's the problem."

"You don't know anything about it!" Max exploded. "So just get off my case!"

"I know that you have a girl in there who knows who you are and still loves you despite it!"

The three of them fell silent for a moment.Then Max finally spoke again. "This isn't about me and Liz, is it? This is about you and Maria. One piece of advice, Michael. Before you start criticizing me, why don't you take a look at your own life?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Michael demanded.

"Have you been honest with Maria about how you feel about her? Or are you just trying to make yourself feel better by berating me for moving forward with my life while yours is at a standstill?"

Michael and Max stared at each other for a moment, the silence tense with anger.

"Michael, do you need a ride home?" Isabel asked, trying to ease the tension.

"No. I'm staying here." And without another word, Michael turned his back on the two of them and walked back into Alex's house, closing the door behind him.

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Maria backed slowly out of Alex's bedroom and into the hallway.

"How is she?"

She turned at the sound of Michael's voice, much quieter than usual, right behind her. "She's sleeping," she told him. "I thought you left."

Michael shook his head and looked down at the floor. "Actually, I thought I'd stay here with you guys tonight and keep an eye on things. If you don't mind."

"No. That's fine," Maria said quickly. She sensed something was wrong, but couldn't figure out what it was. "Did Max and Isabel leave?"

"Yes." The word was quick, but she heard the tension in his voice as he said it.

"Michael?" she questioned.

He clenched his jaw. "Tess."

Maria's eyes darkened at the name. "Oh." She moved past him and into the living room, where Alex was sitting in the dark. Michael followed her. "Alex, you okay?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking...Coming that close to death kind of makes you think about things, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," Michael responded. Maria felt him tense up next to her and she reached out and touched his arm, wondering if he would pull away. He didn't.

He glanced down at her, and their eyes met for a long moment.

"I think I'm going to bed," Alex said, standing up. "Maria, you remember where the sleeping bags are?"

"Yeah. Hallway closet, right?"

"Yep. And the pull out bed," he added, motioning to the couch.

"Gotcha." Maria gave him a quick hug and then he shook Michael's hand.

"Thanks for your help, Michael," Alex said, moving past him.

"Yeah," Michael answered.

Alex walked down the hallway and went into his parents' bedroom, where he was spending the night, since Liz was asleep in his bed.

Maria turned to Michael. "Um, could you grab the sleeping bags?" she asked.

"Sure." He opened the hall closet and Maria picked up Alex's jacket off the couch and something fell out onto the floor. She knelt down to see what it was, and picked it up, her eyes widening with horror as she realized what she was holding.

Michael heard her gasp and turned around in time to see her drop the bloody knife onto the floor, standing up and backing away quickly, her face ashen in the stream of moonlight from the window. "Maria," he said, moving towards her.

She rushed past him and into the bathroom. Michael grimaced as he heard her getting sick and then he walked over to the knife. He waved his hand over it, and the blood disappeared. He quickly tossed it into the nearest garbage can and followed her into the bathroom. She was hanging over the toliet.

Michael knelt down next to her, and smoothed the hair out of her face as she finished getting sick. After a couple of minutes, her eyes closed and she leaned back against him, her body shaking as she tried to fight the sobs building within her.

"Let it out," he whispered. "It's okay. Just let it out."

Maria felt his arms wrap around her waist as her back leaned against his strong chest. The stress of the past several weeks finally escaped as a strangled cry came from her lips. She couldn't supress the tears anymore. It was too much. In a matter of a few months she'd almost lost Liz, Michael, and now Alex.

She let herself feel it as Michael held her in his arms, comforting her, saying soothing words to her. This wasn't the Michael Guerin she'd made out with weeks ago, this was the Michael Guerin that most people didn't get to see...but he was letting her. He was letting her in. And that was her undoing as she turned in his arms, pressed her face into his chest and cried harder than she ever had in her entire life.


	4. Chapter 4

"The family you come from isn't as important as the family you're going to have."

-Ring Lardner

You Were Meant For Me (Part 4)

Alex had left his parents' door open a crack, just in case. It was still dark when he heard the noises. He pulled the pillow over his head, trying to drown it out, but quickly discovered he couldn't.

Alex groaned and rolled onto his side, forcing his eyes open and squinting at the clock. It was 4:05 a.m.

He lay awake in the darkness, listening, trying to decide where the noises were coming from, and what they were. Finally, with a sigh, he heaved the blankets to the end of the bed and swung his legs over the side. Since Liz, Maria and Michael were there, he'd chosen to sleep in his clothes that he'd changed into after bringing Liz over.

Alex stumbled to his feet and out the doorway. He paused in the hall, listening closely. Only silence surrounded him. He tiptoed to the living room, where Michael and Maria lay on the pull-out bed, sleeping. Then he turned back. He heard the sound again. Definitely coming from his room. He pushed the door open.

Liz was faced away from him, staring out the window as she sat on his bed, her knees pulled up to her chest. He could hear her crying. He moved across the room until he was standing behind her.

"Liz," he said softly.

She turned at the sound of his voice. Her face with streaked with tears, and her eyes were red-rimmed from crying. "I didn't mean to wake you," she said softly.

"No, it's okay. I was awake," he lied. He sat down next to her on the bed. "You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just--everything," she replied, turning back to look out the window.

Alex moved his eyes to where she was looking. Her eyes were locked on the stars, and in particular, the v-shaped constellation.

"I'm sorry, Alex."

"For what?" he asked in surprise.

"For everything that's happened. For getting you into trouble with Valenti, and the FBI, and, well, just all of it. For sticking you in the middle of this huge mess."

Alex draped an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, if you and Maria are in a big mess, I want to be in the middle of it with you. That's what friends are for," he reminded her.

Her head dropped down, and she fought the tears threatening to spill again. "You almost died tonight because of me."

Alex swallowed hard. "That wasn't your fault, Liz."

"But it was," she insisted. "If I hadn't been moping around over Max, you wouldn't have asked me to go see a movie to try and cheer me up and you wouldn't have gotten hurt in the first place."

"Look, I've been moping around over Isabel, and the movie was to cheer both of us up, not just you."

"Right."

"What? You're saying you wouldn't have gone to see a movie to help cheer me up if you hadn't been just as bummed about Max?"

Liz looked up at him. She knew he was joking and she managed to smile.

His eyes turned serious. "Besides. You saved my life tonight, Liz."

She looked away. "Max saved your life tonight."

"But it was your connection with him that saved me. If you hadn't been there, I'd be shiskabob."

She shuddered. "Don't say that," she whispered.

His arm tightened around her slightly. "Sorry." He drew in a deep breath. "Liz, I just have to say that if Max Evans can't see what an idiot he's being, than he doesn't deserve you."

"Thanks, Alex. But I think the idiot here is Isabel."

He grinned. "We're a sorry pair, aren't we, Parker?"

She nodded in agreement. "That we are."

Alex sighed and pulled her into a hug. "You know, this would have been so much easier if we'd fallen for each other instead of the Evans'."

Liz smiled and hugged him back. "Yeah. Too bad we had to fall for Czechoslovakians."

He laughed. "No doubt. But I guess there's a reason for it, huh?"

They let go of one another, and turned to stare out the window, at the V-constellation again. "Yeah. I hope so," Liz answered softly.

"Do you think there's anyone out there...you know, waiting for them to come home?" he asked.

"I know there's at least two," she whispered.

Alex swallowed hard and nodded. Then they sat together in silence as they waited.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maria woke up alone.

She was conscious enough right away to realize she wasn't in her bed at home, but on the hide-a-bed at Alex's house. The events of the previous night came crashing back into her memory and she sat up, blinking and looking around.

She'd cried for a good hour last night, wrapped in Michael's arms on the bathroom floor, and then he'd gently picked her up and carried her effortlessly to the living room. He held her and comforted her as she had him only a few weeks ago, and then she'd fallen asleep in his arms. But now, he wasn't there. Must have left sometime during the night, she thought with a sigh.

"Do you like your eggs scrambled or sunny-side up?"

The voice startled her and she turned to see Michael, standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room, holding onto a carton of eggs. She stared. "What are you doing?"

"Making breakfast," he replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Scrambled," she answered, still reeling from the shock.

Michael turned and walked back into the kitchen, leaving Maria to stare after him. She shook her head. I must be dreaming, she thought. She rose slowly to her feet and moved into the doorway, just peeking inside. Sure enough, Michael was standing at the stove, fixing breakfast. She watched him for a moment. He seemed more calm than she'd ever seen him. He looked very at ease, just standing at the stove, cooking her scrambled eggs.

As if he felt her presence, he turned to her with a slight grin. "You can come in and watch me if you enjoy it so much."

Maria couldn't help smile as she stepped into the kitchen. "Okay." She jumped up onto the counter next to the stove, something she'd done many times as a child, and then she watched him.

Every now and then, he'd glance over at her, give her that famous half-smirk, half-smile that she adored. "I had no idea I was so fascinating," he commented.

"Yeah, well. A man in the kitchen cooking me breakfast has always been one of my fantasies," she joked.

Michael met her eyes as a flicker of sadness passed over them. "What?" he asked.

"I was just...remembering something." She sighed. "When I was six, the year before my dad left...I was just remembering how he used to cook breakfast for me and my mom on Sunday mornings. He made these really great pancakes, I mean, world-famous, and he added cinnamon and sugar to the batter. Then we'd all sit at the dining room table together and eat breakfast and talk for hours."

Michael suddenly had a wave of sadness wash over him, and was surprised to realize that it wasn't his own. It was hers. He reached out and touched her arm. And images burst into his mind.

*Maria, age 7, crying as her dad drove away

*Maria, age 8, staring out the window, wondering when her dad was coming back

*Maria, age 10, sitting outside on her doorstep, daydreaming about coconuts as she waited for her mom to come home. 10 year old Michael came up and sat down next to her, and the two of them just sat in silence.

*Maria and him at the nookie motel in Texas, discussing their families

*Maria, feeling sad at the father-daughter camping trip as she sat with Liz and Mr. Parker

He pulled his hand away from her arm. "I'm sorry," he said immediatly.

Maria blinked in surprise. "For what?"

"I just-I saw some things, when I touched you. It happens sometimes when things get intense. I didn't mean to do it." He turned back to the stove, trying to focus on cooking the eggs.

"Michael," Maria said slowly. "What exactly did you see?" Her heart started pounding. What if all he saw were images of the two of them together? That was sure to send him running in the opposite  
direction in a hurry.

"Just some flashes of you...thinking about your dad."

She sucked in a breath. "Oh."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Invading your privacy."

"You didn't mean to do it," she said, shrugging and jumping down off the counter.

"What is that smell? Is Maria cooking?" she heard Alex say.

Maria smirked as Alex and Liz walked into the room. They both stopped and stared at Michael at the stove, cooking.

"Morning," Michael acknowledged them without turning around.

"Thank God you're the one cooking," Alex said to Michael with a laugh. "I didn't want to die of food poisioning this early on a Sunday."

"Funny," Maria commented, shooting him a look.

Alex held up his hands in mock surrender. "Not the death glare!" He hid behind Liz, who shook her head and rolled her eyes.

Maria smiled at Liz. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," Liz assured her, giving her a questioning look. She didn't know Michael had spent the night. She wondered what was going on with her best friend.

"You guys like scrambled eggs?" Michael asked, turning to face Liz and Alex.

"As long as I'm not the one cooking them, sure," Alex agreed with a grin.

Michael grinned back at him. Then he looked at Liz. "Liz?"

"Um, yeah. Scrambled eggs would be great. Thanks." Liz bit her lip and sat down at the table. This was strange. Stranger than usual. And yet, she thought, as Michael handed her a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon, and sat down next to Maria, it was kind of comfortable at the same time. Sort of like it was meant to be. But Liz couldn't help feel sad as she gazed at the two empty chairs at the table.


	5. Chapter 5

"...For stony limits cannot hold love out..."

-Romeo and Juliet

You Were Meant For Me (Part 5)

Liz was at her locker Monday morning when she heard the laughter from down the hallway. She turned in time to see Max and Tess round the corner, coming towards her.

She looked around, desperately trying to find Maria or Alex, but neither was there. She glanced back at Max and Tess. They were definitely headed in her direction. There was only one thing left to do.

Liz slammed her locker shut, threw her backpack over her shoulder and took off running down the hall, away from them. She couldn't deal with seeing them together. Not now.

She nearly bowled Michael over. She muttered an apology and kept going. Until she ran directly into someone's arms.

"Whoa, Liz, slow down," he said.

She looked up into Kyle Valenti's concerned eyes. He had his hands on her shoulders. "What's wrong?" he asked, searching her eyes. She shook her head, and Kyle's gaze moved past her and he saw what, or rather, who, she was running from.

Kyle draped his arm around her shoulders and she looked into his eyes. "Just relax," he assured her. "You have first period English, right?"

She nodded.

"And it's back the other way."

"No, Kyle, I don't--"

"Just trust me," he said quietly. Keeping an arm around her shoulders, he turned them back around and walked towards Max and Tess.

Max saw them and stopped dead in his tracks and stared.

"What's wrong?" Tess asked. She followed his gaze to Liz and Kyle and her eyes narrowed.

Kyle nodded an acknowledgement to them, and Liz kept her eyes straight ahead. They moved past the pair quietly. Liz let out the breath she'd been holding.

Kyle glanced at her. "Who is she?"

"Tess Harding."

"And she and Max are--?"

"Yeah," Liz said simply.

He shook his head, surprised by the sudden surge of anger he felt towards Max Evans. Again. "You okay?"

Liz turned to face him before going into the English room. "Yeah. Thanks, Kyle."

Kyle nodded. "Liz?"

"Yeah?"

"Max Evans is the biggest idiot on the planet."

She managed a small smile. "Thank you," she said quietly. Then he watched as she turned and went into her classroom. With a sigh, he headed back down the hallway.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Liz sat in dread in her third period class, thinking about what next hour was. Fourth period biology. Where she had to be with Max. For an entire hour. Alone. With him sitting right next to her.

She didn't know how she was going to make it.

She would have to sit there and not stare at him, not touch him, not talk to him. All while he daydreamed about her.

She almost decided to skip.

But Liz wasn't going to let her grades slip; at least not anymore than they already had. She could face him. She had to.

When the bell rang at the end of third period, she rose slowly to her feet, feeling sick to her stomach. She gathered her books and walked out of the classroom, down the hall, and approached the biology class room.

As she got closer, her heart started to race. Her breathing quickened. Her face felt flushed. She almost chickened out and decided to hide in the bathroom during fourth period. But she forced herself to walk into lab.

A wave of relief washed over her when she realized she'd gotten there first. The relief, however, was short-lived, as she knew he'd be there soon.

She quickly took her seat, and pulled out her textbook, a notebook, and a pen.

She didn't even have to look up to know the exact second Max stepped inside the room. She felt him and her heart began to ache. Her hand involuntarily clenched her pen so hard her knuckles were white. She stared straight ahead of her as Max sat down by her side.

"Liz," Max whispered.

She glanced over at him, and he slid her a folded up piece of paper. She quickly covered it with her hand as Ms. Hardy walked in and started the day's lecture.

Liz was consciously aware that Max was staring at her, and she felt all of her senses come to life. She could hear the sound of his even, calm breathing. She could smell the faint scent of his cologne. She remembered what it was like to have his arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly. Liz shivered.

She saw him move from the corner of her eye and suddenly Max was draping his leather jacket over her shoulders. Her eyes widened and she turned to look at him. He offered her a shy smile and ducked his head.

Tears sprang to her eyes. This was the Max Evans she knew and loved, not the stranger that he'd been replaced with a few weeks ago. This was the same shy, sweet, caring Max. The one who loved her back and wasn't afraid to show it.

She carefully unfolded the note he'd given her and read it, making sure Ms. Hardy didn't see her.

Liz,

I hope you're okay. I've been worried.

-Max

Liz glanced over at him, only to find him watching her again. She gave him a quick smile and nodded her head. He looked relieved. Then they both faced forward and tried to pay attention. When the class finally ended, Max smiled at her shyly again. She couldn't help but smile back.

"So...You're sure you're okay?" he asked as the other students filed out of the room.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"And Alex is, too?"

She nodded, noticing that they were the only ones left in the room.

"Can I just...Make sure that...You know, you're really okay?" he stammered, staring at the floor.

Liz swallowed hard as she realized what he meant. "Yeah."

Max touched her face gently, their eyes meeting. He brought his other hand up to rest on her other cheek. Max concentrated and with his powers, searched for internal damages.

Then the images started blasting into his mind.

*Max healing Liz at the Crashdown

*Max and Liz in his jeep right before the accident

*Liz and Alex talking while they were in jail after the rave

*Max and Liz's first kiss

*Max and Liz dancing at the Chinese restaraunt

*Max leaving her on her roof after their first break up

*Max grabbing her in the back of the Crashdown and kissing her passionately

*Max and Liz, asleep together in the desert

And before Liz knew what was happening, Max was kissing her. His hands held her face gently, their bodies touching. The kiss deepened as he moved his arms around her waist and picked her up, placing her down on their lab table, his mouth never leaving hers. His hands tangled in her hair, drawing her closer to him.

Liz suddenly had a flash of someone dragging a cocoon-like object through the darkness of the desert. The person was breathing heavily and clutching his sid with one hand, blood staining the sand as if flowed from his body. She felt a burst of pain and pure fear.

She jerked away from Max, trying to catch her breath. Max did the same, his eyes wide with shock at what he'd just done.

He moved his hands away from her. "God, I'm...I'm sorry, Liz. I didn't mean for that to happen."

The words stung her and she winced.

"It's my fault. I'm sorry," he said again, looking ashamed and embarrassed.

I have to get out of here, she thought. She shrugged out of his jacket and handed it to him, gathering her books. "Bye," she said softly. She hurried out of the room as tears stung her eyes.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alex was at his locker when he saw Liz run out of the biology lab. "Liz!" he called. But she either didn't hear him, or chose to ignore him. He put his books on the top shelf and closed his locker door. He looked up in time to see Max emerge from the lab, his face red.

Alex frowned as he watched Max walk away and turn towards the other hallway. He didn't hesitate for another minute. He saw a glimpse of Liz as she went into the girl's locker room.

This can't be good, he thought grimly. He bit his lip and headed to the cafeteria to find Maria. He spotted her across the room, at their normal table. He hurried acroos the room. "Hey, you need to go talk to Liz," he told her. "She's in the girl's locker room."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. But I think it has to do with Max," he said.

Maria didn't need to hear another word. She stood up and practically ran for the exit. Alex started to follow her, but stopped when his gaze fell upon Isabel. She was walking right towards him. He swallowed hard and smiled at her. "Isabel, hi."

"Hi, Alex," she said politely. She moved past him and sat down with two of her friends.

His heart sunk and he swallowed hard. Then he drew in a deep breath and followed Maria's lead out of the room.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maria found her friend sitting on a bench in the locker room. "Liz?" she said softly, walking up behind her.

Liz turned around. "Hey."

Maria sat down next to her. "What happened?"

"Max kissed me."

"What?" she said in shock. "He kissed you?"

"That's not all." Liz swallowed hard. "I had a vision, Maria."

"I thought that was all over," Maria said in confusion. "I thought the visions stopped after you and Max dug up that--that thing in the desert."

"I thought so, too. But after that, Tess showed up, and Max and I haven't exactly been together since then."

Maria nodded slowly. "Did you tell Max?"

"No. He was...kind of freaked out about kissing me, and..." her voice trailed off.

Maria draped her arm around her friend. "Well, then we need to tell Michael."

Liz just nodded.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael was sitting with Max and Tess outside at lunch, when Maria came up behind him. "Michael, we need to talk to you," she whispered urgently.

He turned to see Liz standing behind Maria, staring nervously at the ground. He shot Max a look and stood up. He followed Maria and Liz across the school yard, to a secluded spot under a magnolia tree, where Alex was standing.

He looked from Maria to Alex to Liz, and then back at Maria. "What's going on?"

"Liz had a vision," Maria informed him.

"What?"

"Max kissed her after biology," Maria answered, anger obvious in her voice.

Michael met her eyes for a moment. Then he turned his attention to Liz. "What did you see?"

"I think I may have seen someone dragging one of your pods away. He was injured, bleeding...I could...I could feel his pain and fear as if it were my own." Her voice shook slightly.

Michael stared at her. He swallowed hard. Whoever had dragged their pods to safety had obviously cared about them, loved them. Had risked his life to save theirs. Was it my father? he wondered.

Maria reached out and touched his arm. "Michael," she said softly.

He blinked and looked down into her concerned eyes. He just nodded to let her know he was okay. Then he looked back at Liz. "Thanks for telling me. Max doesn't know?"

She shook her head. "No, he um...was upset about kissing me and I didn't want to add to it."

He felt a flash of anger at his best friend and his eyes darkened for a moment. "I'll talk to him and Isabel."

"Make sure he knows what a jerk he is," Alex said, glaring at Max and Tess across the yard.

Michael met Maria's eyes again and gave her a brief smile, which she returned. Then he headed back to Max and Tess as the Three Muskateers went the opposite direction.


	6. Chapter 6

"...birds always grow silent before the night descends 'cause nature has a funny way of breaking what does not bend..."

-Jewel Kilcher, "Innocence Maintained"

You Were Meant For Me (Part 6)

"What's this about, Michael?" Isabel asked as she sat down on Max's bed next to her brother.

Michael looked at Max as he leaned against the door. "Liz had another vision when you kissed her today."

Isabel's eyes widened. "You kissed Liz?"

Max stared down at his hands and didn't respond.

"She saw someone dragging away one of our pods. He was injured. She felt his fear, his pain..."

Max looked up. "Is she okay?"

"She was shaken up. But I think that may have more to do with the fact that you kissed her and then ten minutes later you were eating lunch with your new girlfriend," Michael said pointedly.

Max looked away guiltily.

"Why, Max?" he pressed.

"I don't know," Max answered in frustration. He stood up. "I was checking to see if she was really all right, and I saw all these images--flash through my mind, and before I even realized what was happening, I was kissing her."

"That's great, Maxwell."

"Look, I didn't mean to do it. It just happened! It just...it felt right. I can't explain it."

"And why are you so worried about it anyway?" Isabel questioned him.

"I'm more worried about why you two aren't worried about it," he answered. "You know, it's lucky that Liz knew who we were when she started having these visions. Tess doesn't. How do we know that she hasn't been having flashes like Liz has?"

"She hasn't said anything."

"Oh, I feel a lot better now," Michael said sarcastically. "You are putting us all in danger, Max."

There was a moment of silence as Max and Michael stared at one another. Then Isabel stood up and stepped in between them. "Okay, look, Michael. Tess is okay. She's my friend, and--"

"She can't be your friend, Isabel, because she doesn't know who you are!" Michael exploded.

Isabel glared at him. "You're acting like a child. You know, before the three of them found out who we were, you had no problem with me having other friends. And the three of us were close. Now all you seem to care about is Maria, Liz and Alex. What happened to no involvement with humans? Or do they not count?"

Michael met her eyes. "They know who we are, Isabel. They've gotten involved, and helped us more than once. They saved my life. Alex saved Max's life. You seem to have forgotten that. And for your information, ever since the two of you started hanging around this new girl, you've turned into complete strangers!"

"People change, Michael," Isabel pointed out. "You've changed, too."

"How?" he demanded.

"Not that long ago, you didn't trust Liz or Maria," Max said, looking at him.

Michael shook his head angrily. "That was before they saved my life. And right now I trust them a hell of a lot more than I trust the two of you." With that, Michael turned and walked out.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael was walking across the desert, the breeze was chilly and the moon sliced a streak of light through the darkness. In the distance, he saw Maria DeLuca walking towards him. He smiled and she did the same.

And then, suddenly, a coyote was running towards her from behind.

"Maria!" he shouted.

As Maria turned around, the coyote transformed into a man. Maria screamed as the man grabbed her.

Michael ran towards them as fast as he could. The man let go of Maria and she crumbled to the ground. The man shifted into an owl and flew away.

Michael dropped to his knees at Maria's side. "No!" he screamed as he searched for a pulse that wasn't there.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael sat up on his couch, gasping for breath. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead and he wiped them away with the back of his hand. He glanced at the clock. 11:21.

His eyes moved to the telephone. He had an urge to call and make sure Maria was okay, but he didn't want to risk waking her mother. It would be better to go over there anyway. Michael kicked the blankets onto the floor and stood up. He grabbed his jacket and headed out the door.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maria lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. She was listening to her radio since she couldn't sleep.

"I can feel it coming in the air tonight

Oh, Lord..."

She heard a noise from the kitchen and she sat up immediately.

"I've been waiting for this moment for all my life

Oh, Lord..."

A chill ran down her spine. She crawled out of bed, looking around her room for a weapon. She suddenly wished her mother hadn't gone out of town on business.

"I can feel it in the air tonight

Oh, Lord..."

Just as she reached for her baseball bat, there was a knock on the window. She screamed, and then whirled around in time to see Michael climbling in the open window.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I heard something in the kitchen," she said in a shaky voice. "My mother's out of town until tomorrow night."

He nodded his head and moved towards the door. She followed him, gripping onto his arm with both hands. They moved out into the hallway slowly, and then into the kitchen. Maria flipped on the light.

"There's no one here," Michael said quietly, glancing down at her.

"Michael, I heard something," she said, a bit defensively.

"I believe you."

"You do?"

"Yeah." He took a deep breath. "Hey, listen, if your mom's not here, why don't I stay? You know, just in case."

Maria nodded. "I'd feel better if you did." She made her way back to her room, Michael following her.

"Do you want me to sleep on the floor?"

She met his eyes. "No."

Michael just nodded his head, slipped off his shoes, and crawled under the covers. Maria slid in next to him, their arms brushing slightly. They lay awake in silence for a few moments.

Then, "Michael?"

"Yeah?"

"What brought you here tonight?"

He hesitated.

"Michael?" She sat up and gazed at him. "What is it?"

"I sort of...Had this nightmare. About Nasedo, I think. I thought you might be in trouble," he said honestly. He met her eyes.

"Because I know the truth about you guys?"

"I don't know for sure. But that's my guess."

"Then Liz, and Alex are in danger, too," she said slowly.

"It may have just been a dream."

"But you don't think so."

Michael rolled onto his side and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. He kissed her forehead. "I don't know, Maria."

She nodded and closed her eyes. "Michael."

"Yeah?"

"I want to help you. I want to be a part of--whatever it is that's going on."

He looked down at her. "Maria?"

She opened her eyes and looked into his. "Just...don't push me away, all right? Like Max and Isabel have done to Liz and Alex."

Michael sighed. "I don't know what's going on with the two of them." He sat up, frustrated. "I can't even talk to them anymore."

"You think it has to do with Tess?"

He heard the way she said the name, and knew Maria didn't trust the new girl anymore than he did. "Maybe. It's just kind of weird, you know? That she just shows up out of nowhere and starts hanging around with Max and Isabel."

"You're thinking she's, like, working undercover or something?" Maria asked, biting her lip.

He turned his head to look at her. "I think that's a real possibility."

She let out a breath. "I was thinking the same thing. So what do we do?"

Michael swallowed hard, and stared out the window. "For now, let's just keep this between us, okay? I don't want to get everyone watching her. She might get suspicious."

Maria nodded in agreement. "Okay. It'll be our little secret."

Michael gave her a half-smile. "Yeah."


	7. Chapter 7

"A man may fulfill the object of his existence by asking a question he cannot answer and attempting a task he cannot achieve."

-Oliver Wendell Holmes

You Were Meant For Me (Part 7)

Michael stood in the middle of the desert, watching the little girl spin around in circles. "Who are you?"

The girl laughed, and continued spinning, her long dark hair flying behind her.

"Tiponi," the voice said.

Michael turned around, looking for the person who'd spoken. "Where are you?"

"Tiponi," the voice said again.

"What the hell is Tiponi?" he demanded.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maria shook him awake. "Michael! Michael! Wake up!"

He groaned and opened his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"You were talking in your sleep. Were you having a nightmare?" she asked in concern.

Michael closed his eyes again and rested his head back against the pillows. "Not a nightmare. Just a dream."

"What's Tiponi?" she asked him.

His eyes opened and he looked at her. "Did I say that aloud?"

"Yeah." Maria sat up and rubbed her eyes. "What does it mean?"

He sighed, and looked at the clock on her nightstand. "I don't know. I keep having this weird dream. About a little girl. This voice keeps saying, 'Tiponi.' I don't know what it means. " Maria looked at him in concern. He looked up at her. "But I think I may know how to find out."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"There you are holding her hand  
I am lost  
Dying to understand  
Didn't I cherish you right?  
Don't you know you were my life..."

Liz watched as Max and Tess walked down the hall, hand in hand, laughing and talking. They hadn't seen her watching. She swallowed hard, trying her best not to cry.

"Even though I try  
I can't let go  
Something in your eyes  
Captured my soul  
And every night I see you in my dreams  
You're all I know  
I can't let go..."

Alex watched as Isabel walked down the hallway with two of her friends. She didn't even smile at him when she walked by, like she usually did.

"Just cast aside  
You don't even know I'm alive  
You just walk on by  
Don't care to see me cry  
And here I am  
Still holding on  
I can't accept  
My world is gone..."

Dejected, Alex walked away from his locker, head hanging down. He spotted Liz down the hallway, watching Max and Tess. He drew in a deep breath and walked towards her.

Liz felt the tears sting her eyes as Max wrapped his arm around Tess.

"Do you even realize the sorrow I have inside  
Every day of my life?  
Do you know the way it feels when all you have just dies?  
I try and try, to deny that I need you but still you remain on my mind..."

Alex draped his arm around Liz's shoulder and she looked up at him. The pain in her eyes reflected that which was in his own. He squeezed her gently and kissed her forehead. "At least we have each other," he said quietly. "I know it's not the same, but..."

"No, Alex. I'm lucky to have you for my friend," she whispered, blinking back tears. She hugged him.

"Even though I try  
I can't let go of something I need so badly  
You're all I know  
I can't let go..."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You think River Dog will know what 'Tiponi' means?" Maria questioned as she accepted Michael's hand and he helped her into the cave.

"I don't know. I hope so." Michael took a deep breath and looked around the cave, his eyes locking onto the writing.

Maria ran her fingers over it. "What do you think all this means, Michael?" she asked, turning to face him.

He ran his hand through his spiky hair. "I don't know. It seems familiar, but...God, if I wasn't so stupid, I could read it!" he said, suddenly getting angry.

Her eyes widened at the sudden outburst. She put her hand on his arm. "Stop it, Michael," she commanded, her voice firm. "You are NOT stupid. And Max and Isabel couldn't read it either, so quit blaming yourself."

He looked down into her eyes, feeling the warmth of her hand on his arm. "Sorry."

"You have come for answers," a voice said from the entrance of the cave.

Michael and Maria turned to see River Dog standing there. "Yeah," Michael agreed, meeting the man's eyes. "We have."

River Dog nodded. "How can I help?"

"I've been having a reoccuring dream. About a little girl. There's this voice that keeps saying, 'Tiponi.' Do you know what that means?" Michael asked him.

River Dog nodded slightly. "Tiponi means 'Child of Importance.'"


	8. Chapter 8

"Love is the pain you can't refuse."

-Rhodez, "Speed of Light"

You Were Meant For Me (Part 8)

Maria clutched the steering wheel of her red jetta and looked at the road. "I don't get it."

"What?" Michael asked.

"Why are you having dreams about a little girl? I mean, it doesn't make any sense."

Michael shrugged. "At least I know what 'Tiponi' means."

"'Child of Importance,'" she mused. "Important to whom? For what?"

He stared out the window. "I don't know. But she seemed really familiar somehow."

"Oh, my God, Michael," Maria said suddenly. "What if there's another one of you? You know, besides you, Max, Isabel and this...this...Nasedo?"

He glanced over at her, frowning. He hadn't thought of that. "Maybe."

Maria suddenly couldn't stop her thoughts from swirling. "What if it's Tess?"

Michael shook his head. "I can feel Max and Isabel, and Nasedo, even though I only feel him once in awhile. Tess doesn't give off any vibes."

She raised an eyebrow. "That's funny. Every time I've been around her, I get goosebumps."

He gave her a half-smile. "Yeah, but it's a different kind of vibe. More like the feeling I got from Topolsky."

Maria shuddered at the name. "What is it with people whose names start with 'T'?" she wondered aloud as she parked the car in the school's lot. She climbed out, straightened her skirt, and exchanged a look with Michael before heading for the cafeteria.

Maria spotted Liz and Alex at the same time Michael spotted Isabel, Max and Tess, who weren't sitting too far away from the former.

"Think they'll care if I join you?" he asked.

Maria glanced up at him. "No." She lead him over to Liz and Alex's table.

Her friends looked up. "Hey," they said in unison.

Maria smiled and sat down across from them. Michael hesitated.

Liz glanced up at him, somewhat surprised, but she offered him a quick smile. "Hey, Michael."

"Hey," he said back. "Mind if I sit here?"

"Go right ahead," Alex told him. He shoved a bag of chips towards him. "Do you like cheese curls?"

Maria wrinkled her nose.

"Ms. DeLuca has no taste for good food," Alex said to him. Maria stuck her tongue out at him.

"She likes ice cream," Liz reminded him, defending her friend.

Michael grinned and grabbed a handful of cheese curls. "I'll have to keep that in mind."

Maria smirked. "You do that."

Alex and Liz exchanged a confused look.

Suddenly a burst of laughter from behind them made Liz turn around. Isabel and Max were laughing at some joke Tess had made. She cringed and turned back in her seat.

Michael caught the look on her face and scowled over at Tess and Max. "You guys want to go somewhere else?" he asked, taking note of the equally miserable-looking Alex.

"What good would it do?" Liz asked quietly. "We can't run from them forever. I have to accept that he's moved on."

Maria glared at Max and Isabel. Michael reached down and laced his fingers through hers underneath the table.

I know how you feel, he thought.

Maria's eyes widened and his did, too, as they both realized that she had heard his thought.

The bell rang, sounding the end of lunch.

Alex and Liz stood up. "See you later," Alex said.

"Bye," Maria and Michael said at the same time, exchanging another weird look.

Alex just frowned, then shook his head and followed Liz out of the cafeteria.

"Michael, I just--"

"I know," he said, staring at her. "I know."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael was sitting in the middle of the desert, watching the girl spin around in circles, her dark hair flying. "Tiponi!" she said, laughing gleefully.

Michael felt a sense of calm wash over him as he watched her. He smiled. "Tiponi," he repeated softly.

The girl stopped spinning and focused her dark brown eyes on him. "Are you going to protect me?"

"Protect you from whom?" he asked, confused.

"The bad people."

"What bad people?"

The girl moved closer to him. "The ones who want to kill me."

Michael was startled. "Who wants to kill you?"

She just stared back at him.

"Tiponi, who wants to kill you?"

"That's not my name."

"It's not?"

"No. It's what I am." She turned to see Max Evans walking towards her, smiling at her. She face Michael again. "He can't protect me. Can you?"

"Yes," Michael answered, feeling the girl's apprehension. The girl smiled at him. Michael smiled back at her.

Then Max reached them, nodded an acknowledgement to Michael, and scooped her up in his arms and carried her away.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alex couldn't sleep. Not that he had been sleeping well lately. But that night he hadn't slept at all. So, he climbed out his window, hoping that a walk might help clear his mind.

He stuffed his hands into his pockets and stared at the sky as he walked. His eyes were locked on the V-shaped constellation. He had noticed it long before he knew the truth about Isabel and Max and Michael. He used to star-gaze with Liz on the weekends, because they were both interested in astronomy. But now it seemed as though the V-constellation was the only constellation at all.

He thought about Max. He couldn't hate him no matter how much he wanted to. He couldn't hate him because Max had saved Liz's life, and then, oddly enough, his own. He was beyond grateful that he and Liz were still alive. He couldn't imagine what life would be like without one of his best friends. He didn't want to imagine it. But that didn't mean Alex had to like the stupid jerk.

And Isabel.

Alex had been in love with her since he moved to Roswell in the fourth grade. And up until this year, she hardly talked to him. But then, little by little, she'd started opening up to him. Until three weeks ago when Tess Harding came to town. For some reason, Max and Isabel had both befriended her immediately, and began withdrawing from everyone else, Michael included.

Alex had no idea what was up with Michael lately. Michael had been hanging out with the three of them instead of Max and Isabel, which was weird in the first place. Then, he and Maria had been spending a lot of time together, although, according to Maria, they were 'just friends.'

He looked up and stopped when he realized where he was. He walked to the back of the Crashdown and he could hear the faint sound of music from the roof. He climbed up the ladder quickly and peeked his head over the ledge.

Liz was sitting on her lounge chair, head bent over her book, hair falling around her face as she concentrated in writing in her journal.

"You couldn't sleep either?"

She looked up, startled. "Hey, Alex." She looked at her watch. It was 2:30 in the morning. "You're here late."

He finished his climb and sat down on the edge of the roof. "Yeah, sorry. Didn't meant to interrupt your journal time."

Liz shook her head. "Don't worry about it. What's up?"

"I was just walking...trying to figure things out, you know?"

"Made any progress?"

"Not really," he confessed.

"Me either."

There was a long moment of silence. "Want some hot chocolate?" she offered.

Alex grinned at his best friend. "Yeah."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maria was walking down the hallway at school the next day when suddenly someone grabbed her arm. "What the--" she started as she was pulled into the janitor's closet. The door closed. She turned to face Michael. "Michael, what is it?"

"Is your mom home tonight?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Damn. I wanted to try something."

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"You heard my thoughts yesterday, right?" She nodded and he continued, "I was hoping I could try and pull you into that dream with me."

Her eyes widened.

"Nevermind," he said quickly.

She touched his arm. "No, Michael, I told you. I want to help. It's Friday night. I'll just say I'm at Liz's."

"What are you going to tell Liz?"

Maria bit her lip. "The truth. That I'm staying with you."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You're what?"

"I'm staying with Michael," Maria repeated to Liz, who she had pulled into the back room of the Crashdown that afternoon.

"What happened to 'how do you know he's not just using you?'" Liz demanded.

"Liz, we're going to watch movies, that's all. Michael and I are just friends. And you're not the only one who's been hurt here, okay? Max and Isabel are ignoring him, too."

Liz bit her lip and stared at the floor. "I didn't mean to sound--"

Maria cut her off. "It's okay. You've been stressed out lately. I understand." Maria hugged her. "You need a break, Liz. You don't work this weekend, right?"

"Right."

"So, why don't you take some time to yourself?" she suggested. "Or, better yet, why don't you, Alex and I have a 'Three Musketeers' night tomorrow evening?"

Liz smiled. They hadn't done that in ages. "Sounds good," she agreed. "I'll call Alex later and tell him."

Maria grinned. "Great." She lowered her voice and fastened her apron around her waist. "And you'll cover for me if Mom calls tonight?"

Liz sighed. "Yeah. Maria?"

"Yeah?"

"Just...be careful."

Their eyes met. "I will," she promised.


	9. Chapter 9

"Dreams are true while they last and do we not live in dreams?"

-Alfred, Lord Tennyson

You Were Meant For Me (Part 9)

Isabel painted her fingernails a bright red as Tess sat a few feet away, painting hers pink. "What do you think?" Tess asked her, waving her hand towards Isabel.

She nodded. "Okay," she said, somewhat flatly.

Tess frowned. "Iz, are you okay?"

"Yeah." Isabel blew on her fingernails in a feeble attempt to dry them. In reality, she hadn't been sleeping well because everytime she laid down to sleep, she kept getting a mental image of Alex's face. He looked so sad, so hurt. She knew it was her fault and she felt bad. And she couldn't do what she used to do to make herself feel safe enough to go to sleep.

Isabel used to dreamwalk into Alex's dreams. Ever since the fourth grade. She'd done it by accident the first time. She'd taken out the pictures of the people in her class, and had fallen asleep looking at Alex's. She didn't even know she could dreamwalk until then.

She remembered that dream clearly--Alex was building a sand castle on the beach. He was smiling and having fun as the sun shone down on him and the waves crashed onto the shore. He had seen her, although he never knew it was actually her, and not just a dream Isabel, and he had invited her to help him.

Shyly and quietly, she had joined him. They had played together, had fun, and she had felt warm, safe and content for the first time since her parents had found her and Max that night in the desert.

And since then, anytime she'd felt afraid or alone, she'd walked into Alex's dreams. To her safe place--with him. She'd never told Max or Michael that she did it. They wouldn't understand.

Now she couldn't walk into his dreams. Not now that Alex knew what she really was--a freak. She hadn't gone into his dreams since the night she'd seen him already dreaming about her. Alex was such a great guy. He hadn't had a nasty dream like most guys that dreamnt about her. No, with Alex, it was beautiful, and sweet and romantic, and...Alex.

"What are you thinking about?" Tess asked.

Isabel blinked. She'd almost forgotten that she wasn't alone. "Oh...just...you know, a guy."

"Michael?"

Isabel frowned. "No."

"Who?" Tess questioned, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Alex Whitman." Damn, why couldn't she seem to keep her mouth shut?

"You mean that dorky guy that stares at you all the time?"

"He's not dorky!" Isabel snapped. "He's a great, sweet guy!"

Tess looked taken aback. "Sorry."

"You know, I have homework to do. You should go find Max."

Tess frowned and softened her voice. "I'm sorry, Isabel." She stood up and left.

Isabel waited until the door closed behind her. Then she sank down on her bed and started to cry.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Max found himself at the Crashdown that evening. He didn't know exactly how he'd gotten there or why he'd come, but that's where he was. He slid into his usual booth and glanced around. He didn't see Liz anywhere. But he saw Maria at the same time she saw him.

Her eyes darkened and she stalked over to his table. "What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded, her words quiet, but with an unmistakable edge.

He flinched. "I don't know," he admitted.

She stared at him. "Are you trying to hurt her?"

Max shook his head. "No, that's the one thing I know for sure. She's the last person I'd ever want to hurt."

"You have a mighty fine way of showing it!" Maria accused. "And where is your latest fling?"

"With Isabel."

"I should have known."

Max lowered his eyes. "I just--want her to know that I never meant for any of this to happen. I don't even know how it happened."

She studied him for a moment, frowning. "What do you mean?"

He met her eyes again. "I mean...everything's all jumbled. I don't know what I'm doing from one minute to the next. I can't explain it."

Maria felt a growing sense of worry inside her. Something was very wrong here. She felt something click in the back of her mind, but she couldn't identify it just then. "Max, it's closing time," she told him, her voice less harsh this time.

"Oh. Okay." Max got to his feet and shuffled towards the door, feeling disappointed and not knowing why.

"Max," Maria said suddenly.

He turned to face her. "Yeah?"

She held up his jean jacket. "You forgot this."

Max frowned as he took it from her. He didn't even remember having worn his jacket.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Liz was curled up in her lounge chair, writing in her journal when she heard someone coming up the ladder. She wondered if it was Alex again. But when she saw it was Max, she froze, staring at him.

"Liz?" he whispered, remaining on the ladder, looking over at her.

"Max?" she whispered back.

"Can I come up?" he asked, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Yes." She moved her journal aside as he climbed the rest of the way up and stood a few feet away from her. She could tell by the look in his eyes that something was wrong. "Max? What's wrong?"

His eyes filled with tears. "I don't know."

Liz's heart nearly stopped. She stood up and moved towards him, until they were only a foot apart. "Max?"

"Everything's just...wrong. I can't explain it...My mind feels like it's being twisted in knots..." he managed to say. She reached out and touched his hand, the electricity causing both of them to jump. "I can't think straight, Liz...and I don't know how to fix it," he whispered, a tear slipping down his cheek.

Liz's own eyes filled with tears. She stood on tiptoe and kissed the tear off his cheek. He leaned his forehead against hers. "The only time I can think clearly is when I'm with you," he said quietly.

She pulled away from him, gazing into his eyes. "Why is that, Max?" she whispered.

Max swallowed hard. "Because I love you," he said.

Her eyes widened. "Max," she breathed, her voice shaking.

He moved his hands to her face, cupping her chin in his hands gently. His gaze dropped to her lips and then he leaned in to kiss her, gently at first, then weaving his hands through her hair and pulling her close, deepening the kiss.

Liz felt his fear, his confusion, his desperation as he kissed her harder. She wound her arms around his neck as he picked her up and carried her to the lounge chair. He sat down, pulling her onto his lap, his lips never leaving hers. He clung to her like a lifeline. And she let him.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael paced the floor of his apartment until he heard the knock at 10:13. He hurried over, and opened it quickly. "You're late," he snapped at Maria, who stared at him in shock. "Sorry. I'm just...I have a feeling...Like we're running out of time somehow."

Maria nodded. "I feel it, too. Max came to the Crashdown tonight. Something's wrong with him, Michael."

"I know. That's why I need to figure out this dream."

"You really think you can draw me into it?" she asked, a hint of doubt in her voice.

"I know my powers aren't as great as Max and Isabel's, but--"

"No, that's not what I meant, Michael. I have faith in you and your abilities, but....I mean, I'm still, you know...Not like you," she said.

"I know. But I want to try. I mean, if you're sure," he added quickly.

She pulled her jacket off. "Yeah, I want to help in any way I can. So what do we do?"

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Tiponi!" the girl cried, twirling around in circles as Michael watched from a few feet away, Maria standing at his side.

"Tiponi," Maria repeated softly.

The girl stopped and looked at her. Her face broke into a wide smile. Then she hurried over to Maria and threw her arms around her waist. "Hi!"

Michael met Maria's eyes in shock. "Do you know her?"

The girl looked up at Michael. "Of course she does, silly. She's going to help you protect me."

Maria knelt down in front of the girl. "Protect you from who?"

"The bad people," the girl said solemnly.

"Maria."

She looked up at Michael, who was pointing straight ahead. Max was headed towards them. She bit her lip and looked back at the girl. She stared into her eyes, searching them. Something about this girl was oddly familiar...

Max picked the girl up and headed away with her. Maria stared after them, then she stood up and faced Michael. "Oh, my God, Michael!" she said suddenly.

"What?"

"She's Max and Liz's daughter!"


	10. Chapter 10

"Shared joy is double joy. Shared sorrow is half sorrow."

-Swedish Proverb

You Were Meant For Me (Part 10)

Alex was pulled out of a restless sleep by the sound of someone's pounding on his front door. He groaned and forced his eyes open. It was 8:15 in the morning.

Alex reluctantly rolled out of bed as the knocking continued. He stumbled down the hallway to the front door. "This better be good because it's early and I--" he cut himself off as he pulled open the door and was face to face with Isabel Evans. "--am apparently still dreaming. Isabel, what are you doing here?"

"Max never came home last night." Her voice was on the verge of panic. "I don't know where he is."

Alex frowned. "Okay, um, come in here and we'll try to sort this out," he said, glad he was dressed in a way that was suitable to company.

Isabel stepped inside and nervously looked around. "Where could he be? This isn't like him!"

"Have you talked to Michael?"

"No. Max and Michael haven't been getting along lately. He wouldn't go there."

"Okay, what about Tess?"

"No, Max took off before she left last night."

Alex bit his lip and then he met Isabel's eyes. "Uh-oh."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Liz opened her eyes and quickly squeezed them shut again as the sun invaded her vision. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night, but she was more relaxed than she had been in a long time. She felt Max's fingers playing with her hair as she listened to the sound of his steady heartbeat. She smiled in contentment.

She struggled to sit up and she gazed down into his eyes. He smiled up at her. "How long have you been awake?" she asked curiously.

"All night."

"You must be exhausted!" she exclaimed.

Max shook his head. "Watching you is peaceful," he told her seriously. He touched her face, his fingers brushing against her hair. He brought her towards him slowly, their eyes locked.

He touched his lips to hers and kissed her softly. He brushed his lips against her cheek and pushed her hair back as he kissed her neck, all while his hands alternately caressed her face and shoulders.

She let her head fall back as she held onto his shoulders and he made a path of kisses down to the top of her button-down night shirt. He reached for the top button, when suddenly they heard her mother's voice, "Lizzie! Breakfast is ready!"

Her eyes widened, and so did Max's. She all but jumped off of Max, who quickly stood up and grabbed his leather jacket.

"Lizzie!" her mother called again.

Max grabbed her and kissed her passionately. Her knees buckled but he caught her, holding her up, unable to break the kiss.

Finally, she did. "Max, you have to go!" she gasped.

"Right." He nodded and kissed her again. His arms pulled her closer to him, his hands sliding under her shirt and caressing the bare skin of her back.

They heard footsteps coming closer to Liz's bedroom door and Liz nearly stomped her foot in frustration. Max finally pulled away from her, breathing heavily. "Bye," he whispered as he hurled himself over the top of the ladder.

Liz watched him climb down and she blew him a kiss. He did the same and took off running. She sighed as she heard her bedroom door open.

"Lizzie?"

Liz swallowed hard, took a deep breath and walked to her window. "Out here, Mom."

"What are you doing out there?"

"I fell asleep writing in my journal last night."

Her mom looked out the window at her. "Well, come inside, it's cold out there. Breakfast is ready."

"Right."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael was pacing back and forth, running one hand through his spiky hair. Maria watched him from the couch. "So you think Liz is pregnant."

"Maybe not yet. But come on, Michael. Think about it. That little girl looked an awful lot like her. And the way that Max picked her up..."

Michael nodded. "Okay. But she's in danger. From whom?"

"Tess? I mean, if she is an FBI agent, then Max and Isabel are both in danger and if Liz is pregnant with Max's baby, then she and the baby are both in danger, too."

"Then we have to figure out a way to get Tess out of the picture. Permanently."

"Okay, I agree, but murder is out of the question."

"So what do we do?"

Maria stood up. "I think she's brainwashed them. What better way to learn the truth about who they really are?"

"That would explain why they've been acting like strangers lately," he agreed. Then he stopped and turned to face her. "Why wouldn't they be after me, too, then?"

"Maybe they don't know about you. I mean, Max is the one everyone's suspected since the beginning, and Isabel is his sister. They were found together by the Evans'. Maybe they assume it's just the two of them."

"Right. That makes sense." He ran his hand through his hair again. "Back to question #1. Without killing her, how do we get rid of her?"

Maria bit her lip. "I have an idea."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Liz, honey, Alex is here," her mom called.

Liz glanced at her clock and pushed herself away from her desk. She opened her bedroom door, surprised to see Isabel with Alex. "Uh, hi."

"Have you seen Max? He didn't come home last night," Isabel said anxiously.

Liz felt her cheeks turn pink. "Um, yeah. He--uh--was...here."

"All night?"

Liz nodded. "He left about an hour ago."

Alex met her eyes, somewhat shocked.

"But he's okay?" Isabel pressed.

"Yeah. Yeah, he was...um...fine." She turned away, embarrassed.

"Thank God," Isabel said, relieved. "Alex, do you need a ride home?"

"No, I think I'm going to get something to eat downstairs."

"Okay." Isabel kissed his cheek. "Thanks for your help, Alex." She left the room.

Alex and Liz stared at one another for a long moment. "Okay. Well, I'm going to get some food. Want to join me?"

"Sure." Liz followed him down to the cafe. They walked out front and sat down in a booth.

There was a moment of silence. "So....are you okay?" Alex asked carefully.

"Yeah, Alex, I'm fine," she assured him.

"What happened, Liz? I mean, the last time I knew, Max and Tess were...together."

Liz bit her lip. "I'm not sure exactly. Max came to me last night...he said he was really confused. I've never seen him so lost, Alex. He needed me."

"I just don't want you to get hurt, Liz."

She met his eyes, and saw the genuine concern there. "I know." She touched his hand. "Thank you for being such a good friend."

Alex smiled. "Just returning the favor."

She smiled back. "I thought you were hungry."

"Oh, I am. But I don't think Agnes is in a hurry to come over and ask me what I want," he said, glancing over at the counter, where the older waitress was staring into space.

Liz rolled her eyes. "There's a big surprise." She stood up. "What do you want to eat, Alex?"

"I can get it," he said quickly. "It's your day off."

Liz shook her head. "Not a problem."

"Okay, in that case, I will have a glass of orange juice and an omlet."

"And an order of biscuits and gravy with a side order of bacon," she added.

Alex feigned shock. "How did you know?"

Liz rolled her eyes. "Alex, you've eaten breakfast here every Saturday for the past five years."

He grinned. "Only because I'm fond of the waitresses. Two in particular."

She grinned back. "Did you know that Isabel covered for me here one night?" she asked mischievously. She laughed at the look on his face and walked away to turn in his order.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I don't like it," Michael said flatly.

"Like I do. But one of us had to find out about her, and it's too dangerous for you," Maria argued.

"It's just as dangerous for you."

"Maybe, but if I get caught, they won't put me on a dissection table," she pointed out. "Michael, face it. It's our only option . You have to protect Liz. I'll take care of Tess."

"You be careful," he said, his words clipped.

"I will."

"I don't want anything to happen to you." He caught her off guard as he grabbed her and pulled her to him, hugging her fiercely. She couldn't help smile as she hugged him back. Then her smile faded.

"You know, the hardest part will be staying away from Liz and Alex."

Michael pulled away and looked at her. "Will you be able to do that?"

Dread filled her as she thought about it. "Yeah. Because if I don't, all of us could end up dead."

Michael's eyes darkened. "That's not going to happen. I won't let it."

"I know." Maria took a deep breath. "So we start this at lunch on Monday. And as far as tonight goes..."

"Just act normal."

"Act normal. Right. Okay." Maria turned away. "I can do this."

He touched her shoulder. "Maria?"

She looked at him. "I can do this," she said, her voice steady and confident. Michael just nodded.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alex leaned back in the booth and waited for his breakfast. He saw Liz step out front, carrying his orange juice at the same time he heard the jingle of the front cafe door bells. He saw the glass slip from Liz's fingers and shatter on the floor as a look of horror crossed her face.

He turned to see Max walk in with Tess, holding her hand. He rose to his feet and rushed to his friend's side. She had dropped to her knees to start picking up the broken glass. She grabbed a jagged piece, instantly slicing the palm of her hand.

"Oh, God! Liz, are you all right?" he asked, kneeling down next to her and taking her hand to examine the cut.

Her eyes were filled with tears. "No, I don't think I am," she whispered, biting her lower lip.

"Okay, go upstairs and take care of it. I'll get this."

She didn't hesitate. She jumped to her feet and ran to the back room.

Alex stood up and grabbed a broom and a dustpan. He swept up the mess and got rid of the glass. Then, full of anger, he stormed over to where Tess and Max were sitting in a booth. "Who the hell do you think you are?" he demanded, glaring at Max.

Max stared at him in surprise. "What?"

"You don't give a damn about anyone but yourself, do you, Max? You don't care if you hurt Liz or not. You're just a selfish bastard!"

"You know, it's pathetic the way Liz drools over him all the time. Why don't you tell her to get a life?" Tess suggested, her eyes darkening.

Alex turned his glare on her. "The only thing pathetic here is you," he said coldly. "And let me tell you something. You have nothing on Liz Parker, Tess. I don't know what Max sees in you...but the two of you deserve one another. Just do us all a favor and take it somewhere we don't have to watch!" And with that, he stormed away from the table.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Liz?" He knocked softly on the door. When she didn't respond, he pushed it open and stepped inside. Liz was lying face down on her bed crying. He sat down next to her.

"Oh, why you look so sad  
Tears are in your eyes  
Come on and come to me now..."

"How could I have been so stupid, Alex? How could I actually believe him?"

Alex shook his head. "Liz, this is his fault, not yours."

"Don't be ashamed to cry  
Let me see you through  
Cause I've seen the dark side, too..."

"You should just leave, Alex, before I wind up dragging you down with me," she whispered, burying her face in her pillow.

Alex touched her arm. "Liz, I'm not going anywhere. We've been friends for five years. And no way am I going to sit by and watch you do this to yourself."

"When the night falls on you  
You don't know what to do  
Nothing you confess  
Could make me love you less..."

Alex wrapped his arms around her and held her protectively.

"I'll stand by you  
I'll stand by you  
Won't let nobody hurt you  
I'll stand by you..."


	11. Chapter 11

"A friend is one who believes in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself."

-Unknown

You Were Meant For Me (Part 11)

Maria rang the bell at Liz's house later that evening. She was surprised when Nancy Parker answered the door. "Oh, hello, Maria. Come in."

"Thanks," Maria said, stepping inside a bit nervously.

"Alex's already here. They're in Liz's room. They've been in there since noon. I hope you can cheer her up."

"What's wrong?"

Nancy shook her head. "Honestly, I have no idea. She never tells me anything."

Maria nodded and shouldered her duffle bag as she walked down the hall to Liz's room. She knocked on the door.

It opened a moment later. "Hey," Alex said, letting her in and closing the door again.

"I never ever can remember  
All the things that go bump in the night  
Quietness uncovers  
Betrayal now hovers..."

Maria and Alex watched as Liz sat on her knees, half-buried in her closet as she dug through it, tossing books, shoes, and clothes onto the floor behind her. "What happened?" Maria asked Alex. Liz never cleaned her closet unless something was really wrong, let alone listen to Collective Soul while she did it.

"...my comfort level's not quite right..."

"Max was with Liz last night. Then he and Tess showed up at the Crashdown this morning. Together," Alex said grimly, dodging a flying high heel.

"I'd love to stay and evaluate  
But my torture can't wait..."

Maria stared at Liz as her friend continued rummaging through the pile of junk on her closet floor. "Wait, you mean they spent the night together?"

Alex nodded. "And I hear you and Mr. Guerin are quite inseperable these days."

"It seems I'm losing ground  
Welcome all to my disciplined breakdown..."

Maria couldn't answer. Oh, my God, she thought. Michael's dream is coming true. "I need to use the little girl's room," she said, and quickly left Liz's room.

She ducked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She yanked her cell phone out of her purse and dialed the number. "Michael, things just got complicated," she said the second he answered.

"What do you mean?"

"Max and Liz spent the night together."

Michael nearly dropped the phone. "What?"

"He and Tess were back together this morning."

"Shit," he muttered, rubbing his forehead. "How's Liz?"

"Bad. Cleaning her closet."

"Well, that confirms your theory. No way would Max spend the night with Liz and then be back with that bitch if she didn't have him brainwashed."

"It's a good thing he is brainwashed, because if he did this on his own, I'd have to kill him."

"What do we do?"

"Follow through with the plan. I'm not going to mention it to Liz or Alex...if Liz even suspected Tess was FBI and had Max brainwashed..." She paused. "I don't want to think about what could happen."

"You're right. It's too dangerous for her to know, especially now. We can't have her putting the baby's life in danger."

Maria took a deep breath. "Okay. So I do the normal best friend thing tonight."

"Do I want to know what that means?"

"Let's just say be glad you're not going to be here, and you should feel extremely sorry for poor Alex." She took a deep breath. "I gotta go. Talk to you later."

"Ditto."

Maria hung up the phone, took another deep breath to calm herself, and flushed the toliet so no one got suspicious. She tucked her cell phone back into her purse and went back to Liz's room.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Max, is something wrong?" Diane Evans asked as they ate dinner that night. Her husband was out of town on a case.

Max looked at her with a blank expression on her face. "No."

Diane frowned and glanced at her daughter, who was nervously playing with the pendant on her necklace. "Isabel?"

"Yeah, Mom?"

"Aren't you going out tonight?"

"No...I don't really feel like it," she answered vaguely.

Diane's frown deepened. Isabel always went out on Saturday nights. She moved her gaze to Tess, who smiled at her. Diane looked into the girl's eyes, and a chill ran down her spine. Something about this girl really bothered her.

She seemed nice enough, but there was something about her eyes...a coldness that seemed almost like a warning.

Maybe it was just her imagination, though. The girl was a complete 180 from Liz Parker. She was small, although not quite as small as Liz, with shoulder-length, wavy blond hair and bright blue eyes. She was cute, but she didn't have Liz's natural beauty, or soulful brown eyes.

Diane got feelings about people by looking into their eyes and Tess...Tess's eyes were cold, hard, determined. Looking into this girl's eyes made Diane Evans afraid.

Maybe she really was imagining it because she had liked Liz. She was intelligent, thoughtful, and honest. Diane didn't know what happened between Max and Liz, but she still held onto hope that they could work things out. In all honesty, Liz Parker was exactly the type of girl she'd always hoped for for her son.

And there was something between them. When they were around one another, it was like there was this--connection--between them--a connection so strong Diane could feel it.

She didn't have that feeling about Tess. She knew in her heart it was because a connection between Max and Tess didn't exist. Her son had already found his soulmate.

Max and Liz were meant to be together, and sooner or later, they would realize it. Diane looked at Tess and shivered again. She just hoped it was sooner.

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Liz dug her spoon into the vanilla ice cream gallon and shoved it into her mouth.

"Men are idiots, Liz," Maria said, taking a bite of the pistachio ice cream she was finishing off. "They're all blind and stupid, and think with their--"

"Watch it," Alex warned.

"Seriously. Men are like, the scum of the earth."

"Hey, don't lump all men into the jerk category," Alex said, leaning back against Liz's desk.

"I don't mean you, Alex," Maria said with a sigh.

"Glad to hear it."

"And that--blond bimbo, is like, nothing compared to you."

"I'll second that one," Alex agreed, nodding.

"And if Max can't see that, then he doesn't deserve you anyway."

Liz remained silent as she jammed her spoon back into the frozen gallon. Alex flinched at her harsh action, but then realized he was glad she was angry, rather than depressed and crying.

"I may crack but I'll never shatter  
I may crack but it doesn't matter  
I may crack but I'll never shatter  
Cause I still have a secret no one knows  
In the dark I keep it closed..."

He wished there was something he could do to cheer her up. Liz and Maria were his best friends in the world and he hated to see either of them upset.

"...I may crack but I'll never shatter  
Destiny wasted over and over  
I may crack but it doesn't matter..."

"You know what makes me the angriest?"

Alex jerked his head up to look at Liz. That was the first whole sentence she'd spoken all evening. "What?"

"That if this was any other guy and this happened, I'd have no problem with someone volunteering to kill him for me." She jabbed the spoon back into the ice cream so hard her hand throbbed. "But it's Max. And it makes me so angry that no matter what he does, I still can't hate him for it." She gave a bitter laugh.

Alex shot Maria a look, who quickly moved to sit next to Liz on her bed. "That's okay, babe, cause Alex and I can hate him enough for all three of us."

He stood up and moved to sit on the other side of her. "Or we could just kill Tess," he suggested.

Maria narrowed her eyes. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Liz managed a small smile. "Only if I get to rip out her hair one strand at a time."

"Remind me never to get on your bad side," Alex joked

Liz smacked him on the arm playfully. "As long as you never turn into an insensitive jerk like the rest of the male species, you don't have to worry about it."

"I'll take that as a compliment and a warning."

She smiled at him. Then her smile faded as she looked down at the half-eaten gallon of vanilla ice cream. "Thanks, guys, for being here. I know I've been a bitch lately, but--"

"Please reserve that word for a certain barbie bimbo," Maria said, rolling her eyes.

Alex nudged her with his elbow. "Don't force us to tickle you."

Maria met his eyes and grinned.

Liz's eyes widened. "Guys, no, don't--" They pounced, tickling Liz until she fell backwards on the bed, laughing so hard tears streamed down her face. "Stop it!" she shrieked, laughing hysterically.

Alex and Maria grinned at each other and then down at Liz. "No more calling yourself bad names?" Maria asked.

"No!"

"What's the magic words?" Alex asked, smiling as he threatened to tickle her again.

"Guys, this is very unfair," Liz protested, struggling to catch her breath.

"Say it!" Maria cried, tickling her ribs.

Liz laughed helplessly. "Never!"

Alex laughed with her. "Say it and end the torture!"

She squeezed her eyes shut. "Radish head!"

Alex and Maria burst out laughing and collapsed next to her. "God, when was the last time we did that?" Maria asked as she tried to calm down.

"Last year at my birthday sleepover," Liz answered immediately, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"That's just plain scary," Alex said with a laugh, wiping his own eyes.

"You two used to tease me about that all the time. Am I ever going to live it down?" Liz demanded, looking from Maria to Alex.

Maria and Alex exchanged a look. "Nope," they said in unison.

"Besides, you never should have admitted you liked our fifth grade teacher to begin with," Maria said, grinning.

"Remind me never to tell you guys anything again," she said with a laugh as her eyes drifted shut.

Alex and Maria smiled, and did the same. And within in minutes, all three friends had fallen fast asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

"Oh what tangled webs we weave, when we first practice to deceive."

-Sir Walter Scott

You Were Meant For Me (Part 12)

Kyle Valenti sat down in history in his normal seat Monday morning. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, then opened them again when he felt someone walk in. He looked over at Liz, along with everyone else in the room. There were a few hushed whispers and some snickers as she took her seat a couple rows over.

"No wonder Evans dumped her. She's about as pathetic as you can get," the guy beside him commented to his friend.

Kyle turned to face him and their eyes locked and Kyle stared him down, his face showing no signs of amusement. "You're just jealous she went out with him instead of you."

The guy swallowed hard and shut his mouth. No one talked back to the captain of the football team if he knew what was good for him.

Kyle smirked in satisfaction and then gathered his things and stood up. He moved to the chair right behind Liz and tapped her on the shoulder.

Liz turned to face him, looking surprised for a moment and then offering him a brief smile. "Hey."

"How's it going?" he asked, searching her eyes.

She nodded her head and refused to look up as Max, Tess, and Isabel walked in. Kyle glared at them as the snickering started again. He turned his attention back to Liz. "What do you say we go get some ice cream after school?"

"Don't you have practice?"

Kyle shrugged. "It looks like it's going to rain anyway."

She looked out the window and sure enough, the skies were turning gray. She hesitated, "I don't know, Kyle."

"As friends, Liz," he said quietly.

Their eyes met and then she nodded. "Okay."

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Alex waited outside the history room as the bell rang. He glared at Tess as she waltzed by him with Max right behind her. Isabel came out next, the only one of the three of them to meet his eyes. And for a second, she stopped walking and stared at him.

Alex held his breath and continued to look into her eyes. "Isabel?"

"Izzy, are you coming?" Tess asked, a hint of impatience in her voice.

Isabel blinked and turned away from him. "Yeah, coming."

Alex stared after her as she walked away.

"Hey, Alex," Maria said as she stepped out into the hallway with Michael.

"Hey." He nodded to Michael and then glanced into the classroom as Liz and...Kyle Valenti were walking towards him? Alex frowned.

"See you guys at lunch," Maria called over her shoulder as she and Michael seperated and headed to their classes.

"Hey, Alex," Kyle greeted him.

"Kyle." Alex glanced at Liz. "You ready to go?"

"Biology. Yeah, great." Liz managed a feeble smile.

"So, I'll see you after school?"

She smiled at Kyle. "Yeah." He walked off to his next class and Alex gave Liz a questioning look. "It's okay, Alex. We're just going out for ice cream."

He looked at her carefully. "Okay." He offered her his arm and she linked hers through it as he escorted her to biology.

She paused at the door of the biology room and then let go of his arm and stepped into the room.

Alex turned and saw Isabel standing at her locker.

Alone.

He glanced around the otherwise empty hallway, took a deep breath and walked over to her. "Isabel?"

She jumped and then, with widened eyes, turned to face him. "Alex. What's up?"

What's up? That's all she had to say? "Isabel, what's going on?"

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you've been really distant lately. Is everything okay?"

"I've been distant?" she repeated in confusion.

Alex stared at her. "Yeah, very."

"I'm sorry--I don't mean to be," she said, her voice sounding more sincere than it had in weeks. "I've just been really tired lately."

He gazed into her eyes, the beautiful blue color clear and staring back at him. "Haven't you been sleeping?" he asked.

"Uh, no, not really," she admitted, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

He frowned. "Well, is everything okay? You're not sick or anything, are you?" he asked, thinking about how sick Michael had been a few weeks ago.

"No, it's nothing like that."

"Good," he said in relief. The bell rang and Alex realized that was the third time he was late this week. Great, he thought. Detention. He caught sight of a figure walking towards them and he scowled at her.

"Izzy, we're late for English," Tess said sweetly, taking her by the arm. "Bye Alex."

Isabel closed her locker and followed Tess down the hall without another word. Alex shook his head. He really hated that girl.

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Liz sat perfectly still as Ms. Hardy explained the lab. She could feel Max staring at her and she carefully avoided letting their eyes meet. She would NOT become weak because of this.

She forced herself to pay attention to what the teacher was saying. "Okay, so you'll work together on this lab, and you'll have the remainder of the class period to finish it."

Liz drew in a deep breath and reached for the beaker. As she touched it, an overwhelming sense of dizziness washed over her. She squeezed her eyes shut and gripped onto the edge of the table for support.

"Liz?"

She heard Max's voice, but she didn't answer. She slowly opened her eyes again and the room stopped spinning.

"Are you okay?"

Liz turned to look at him. "I'm fine. Not that you really care," she said quietly.

Max stared at her in surprise. "I do care, Liz."

"No, no you don't, Max." She turned to get the beaker again, but Max grabbed her hand and without being able to avoid it, she met his eyes.

They stared at each other, his hand still holding hers. He squeezed it gently. "I love you, Liz," he whispered.

Liz's heart skipped a beat. She snatched her hand away, grabbed her bag and stood up. Then she raced out of the room as fast as she could.

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"Are you ready?" Michael asked, leaning close to her as they left the lunch line.

Maria took a deep breath and balanced her tray on her books. She glanced around the cafeteria. "Ready as I'll ever be." She lead the way towards Max, Tess, and Isabel's table. "Do you guys mind if we sit here?"

The three looked up in surprise, but before any of them had a chance to respond, Michael shook his head. "We're not sitting with them."

Maria turned to face him after setting her tray down on the table. "Why not?" she demanded.

"Because I said so."

"You can't tell me what to do!"

A few people turned around to stare.

"I said we're not sitting here!" Michael snapped, pointing to Tess. "I won't be anywhere near her!"

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Kyle looked up when he heard the angry voices a couple of tables over. Michael Guerin and Maria DeLuca were in the middle of a heated argument. Some things never change, he thought, remembering how they used to fight in Mr. Raddish's class constantly back in the fifth grade.

"You don't even know her!" Maria shouted.

"I don't have to know her to know that I hate her!" Michael shouted back.

"Fine. I'll sit here! You can go to hell!"

"I'll see you there!" Michael turned and stormed out of the cafeteria. Maria glared at his retreating figure, her face red.

Then Kyle watched in disbelief as she sat down at the table that Max, Isabel and Tess were occupying.

What the hell is going on? he wondered. Then his eyes narrowed as Liz and Alex walked into the cafeteria.

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Liz hadn't taken three steps when her eyes focused on the table THEY were sitting at. She stopped dead in her tracks, unable to move.

"Liz?" Alex questioned. He followed her stare and his eyes widened as he saw Maria sitting at the same table as Isabel, Max, and the bitch from hell.

Liz felt tears form in her eyes, but she blinked them back as a surge of anger coursed through her veins. With narrowed eyes, she stalked over to their table, with Alex two steps behind her. Liz tapped Maria on the shoulder, and Maria turned to face her. "Hey, Lizzie. Want to join us?"

"Do I want to join you?" she repeated. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Maybe Maria wants some new friends," Tess said, smiling at Maria, who smiled back.

Liz stared down at her. "What the hell is going on here?"

Maria shrugged. "We've never given Tess a chance, Liz."

"There's a reason for that," Liz answered, her anger rushing to the surface again.

"Do whatever you want. I'm sitting here."

Liz looked at Isabel, whose eyes were clouded and she was nervously playing with the pendant on her necklace.

"I think you should find somewhere else to sit," Tess suggested.

Liz turned her gaze to Tess, her eyes flashing. "I wasn't talking to you," she said coldly. She glanced at Max, who was leaning back in his seat, staring at the table. "And you! How dare you tell me you love me and then fifteen minutes later you're with someone else!"

"Max is over you, Liz. I really think you should just deal with that!" Tess snapped, standing up.

Liz glared back at her, and without missing a beat, she reached down and picked up Maria's glass of diet cola and hurled the contents into Tess's smug face.

Tess gasped and stared down at her ruined blouse and then wiped cola out of her eyes and shoved the dripping hair out of her face. "You stupid bitch!"

Alex stood next to Liz and smirked at Tess. "Looks like you're all wet, Tess. I really think you should just deal with that."

"You're going to pay for this," Tess said darkly, glaring at Liz, who didn't divert her eyes for a second. She stared her down.

"Is that a threat?" Everyone turned at the sound of the voice. Kyle stared at Tess, whose dark eyes were flashing. "Because if it was a threat, I'll need you all to come with me to the station so we can report it to my dad."

Tess sat back down, but continued to throw murderous glances at everyone.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Kyle said evenly. He turned in time to see Liz walk out of the cafeteria. He glanced at Alex, glared at Maria, and then followed her.

Alex watched as Max started to stand up to follow, and he met his eyes. "Do it and die," he warned.

Max stared at him and then wordlessly sat back down.

Alex face Maria. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Trying to eat lunch."

"After everything that's happened, how can you sit here with the two of them?" His voice was angry.

Maria didn't answer.

Alex shook his head in disbelief. "You're worse than Max is!" He stormed away.

Maria swallowed hard, forcing herself to stay calm and collected. Then she scowled. "What an asshole."

Across the table, Tess smiled.

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Michael took a deep breath as Liz rushed out of the cafeteria. He pushed himself away from the wall and started to go after her, when Kyle Valenti beat him to it.

Michael narrowed his eyes.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Liz, wait!" Kyle called as he jogged to catch up to her. He fell into place beside her and walked with her down the hall. "Liz."

"What does she want from me?" she demanded. "She has Max and now she wants my friends, too? What next? A lung?"

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I hate her too," Kyle said honestly.

Liz turned to face him. "Thanks for your help back there, Kyle."

"No problem."

Just then, Alex joined them. "Who's ready to have the first meeting of the 'We Hate Tess Harding Club?'"

"Count me in," Michael said as he walked up to them.

Kyle watched him suspiciously as Michael leaned back against a locker. Something wasn't right here. He could feel it. And, he thought, I'm going to find out what it is.


	13. Chapter 13

"God could not be everywhere, so therefore he made mothers."

-The Talmud

You Were Meant For Me (Part 13)

Kyle sat in a booth at Dairy Queen across from Liz and Alex after school. He shifted uncomfortably and took a sip of his chocolate milkshake, watching Liz as she stirred her vanilla ice cream into vanilla soup.

He glanced at Alex, who didn't look much better as he stared at the tabletop and let his banana split melt on its own.

"I hate rain this time of year," Kyle said as he looked out the window next to their booth. He was getting desperate for conversation to break the sullen mood. Situations like thise made him think about his mother and Kyle didn't feel like going down that road today.

Alex looked out the window and nodded. "I'll second that one."

Liz stood up suddenly. "I need to use the restroom." She walked away from the table.

Kyle and Alex both stared down at her vanilla ice cream-soup that she hadn't taken more than two bites of, and then looked at each other. Kyle knew Alex was waiting for the answer to the question that loomed over them but hadn't been asked. "Don't worry. I'm not trying to get her back or anything. I just hate seeing her unhappy."

Alex nodded and leaned back in the booth. "That makes two of us."

Kyle paused. "I know you never really liked me while Liz and I were going out, but I do care about her."

Alex studied him for a moment. "Yeah, I know that." He glanced out the window. "Liz has been my best friend since the fifth grade, Kyle. I don't want to see her get hurt anymore than she already has been."

Kyle returned Alex's steady gaze with one of his own, and detected the hint of warning in the other boy's voice. "You don't have to worry about me, Whitman."

Alex nodded again. Kyle had been warned. Now Alex could concentrate on figuring out what the hell was going on with Maria and Isabel.

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Isabel paced her bedroom floor, absently playing with the pendant on her necklace. She couldn't sleep again. She felt something was wrong, but she couldn't figure out what it was. She wasn't hungry, she didn't feel like laeving the house, but she didn't know what she wanted to do. She couldn't make the feeling go away.

Isabel ran one hand through her long blond hair and sighed deeply. She reached for the brush on her vanity table, but then realized she didn't feel like brushing her hair.

What the hell was wrong with her anyway?

Isabel looked in the mirror, but she looked the same, except her eyes were a shade darker than usual. She frowned at her reflection and turned away again.

Maybe she needed some hot chocolate to help her sleep. Yeah, that sounded good.

Isabel opened her bedroom door and walked quietly down the hallway so she didn't disturb her mother or Max. Her dad was out of town on some case in Colorado until the next day.

She hurried down the stairs, taking them two at a time and hurried into the kitchen. She reached for the hot chocolate container, but froze as her hand touched it. Hot chocolate didn't sound good now.

"Damn!" she whispered as she closed the cabinet. She pulled open the refridgerator, eyeing the bottle of Tabasco sauce and can of cherry cola. Then with a disgusted sigh, she realized she didn't want that, either. She shut the refridgerator.

Isabel stared out the kitchen window at the rain. Lightning flashed in the sky and a few seconds later, thunder rumbled so loudly it shook the walls of ther house. She backed out of the kitchen and ran back up the stairs and into her bedroom.

She dove under her covers, shaking as the tears started to fall.

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Diane Evans lay awake staring at the ceiling of her bedroom. She thought she heard a door close a couple doors down and she sat up. A flash of lightning lit her dark room and Diane pushed her blankets aside and climbed out of bed as thunder rattled the walls.

She grabbed her robe off the chair by her bed and pulled it on as she glanced at the clock. It was 11:00.

Diane opened her bedroom door and peered into the darkened hallway. She stepped out of her room and walked to her son's room. She paused outside but didn't hear any noise. She turned the door handle and looked inside.

Max was asleep, but she could see him shaking and she frowned. Diane walked into the room and went to his side. She pulled the covers over him and smoothed back the hair from his forehead. "It's okay, baby," she whispered soothingly. His face relaxed, as though some nightmare had just ended, and he stopped shaking.

Diane kissed his cheek and left the room, pulling the door shut all but a crack, just in case. She walked across the hallway and listened outside her daughter's room. She heard soft whimpering and she opened the door and stepped inside. Her daughter was huddled under her blankets, crying softly.

Diane reached out and pulled the covers back slowly. "Izzy?"

Isabel jerked up, startled. "Mom?"

Diane sat down on the edge of the bed and gazed at her. "I'm right here, sweetie."

"I'm sorry," Isabel whispered, swiping the tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"No, you didn't. I never sleep when your father is away." That was true for the most part, but the real reason tonight for her insomnia was because she had a nagging feeling that she couldn't seem to get rid of. A nagging feeling that her children were in terrible danger. Diane reached out and gently brushed her daughter's tears away. "What is it, honey? What's wrong?"

Isabel just shook her head as another bolt of lightening flashed through the sky.

Diane hugged her close and stroked her long hair gently. Don't you know that no matter what happens, I'll always be your mother? That I love you--both of you, unconditionally? That you were both meant for me? she wondered.

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Could you stay with me tonight?" Isabel's voice was so soft, so small.

Diane felt like someone had reached into her chest and ripped her heart in half. She hadn't seen Isabel like this since...since right after she and Phillip had found her and Max in the desert so long ago. Something had frightened her daughter, something so awful Diane didn't think Isabel even knew for sure what it was that had her scared. "Yes, of course I'll stay with you, Izzy," she whispered as she held her closer.

Whatever it was that had Isabel frightened disappeared for the time being as Diane watched her fall asleep within a few moments.

But she had a feeling that whatever it was would be back.

"God, give me the strength to protect them," Diane whispered into the dark room.

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Liz watched from a distance as Max and Tess walked hand in hand through the desert.

"Honeybear," a voice behind her said.

Liz spun around. "Grandma!" she cried, running to her and throwing her arms around her neck.

Her grandmother hugged her back tightly. "Are you doing what you promised?"

Liz pulled away and looked at Max and Tess. "I tried."

Grandma Claudia gave her a sympathetic look. "It'll work itself out in the end. You have to believe that."

"How can I? He's with her now. Things have completely changed."

"Yes, yes, they are. And you have to trust me when I say that things will turn out in the end." Grandma Claudia waved her hand and suddenly the desert turned into the beach, the ocean crashing upon the shore just feet from them. "Right now, you have another path you must follow."

"What path?" Liz asked, frowning.

"Know that when you begin this journey, you were not meant to be alone on it, honeybear." Her grandmother began to fade.

"No, wait!" Liz called. "What journey? Grandma? Grandma!"

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Liz sat up in bed as a clap of thunder pounded in her ears. She wiped her forehead with the back of her nightgown sleep and looked around her room.

That dream had seemed so incredibly real. Like her grandmother was trying to tell her something important.

But what?

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Michael shivered and knocked on the window. A second later, she opened it and he climbed inside, standing in the middle of her room.

For a moment, Maria just stared at him. "Whoa," she said quietly. "Deja vu."

Michael nodded in agreement. "How are you?" he asked, searching her eyes. He was afraid Tess would brainwash her the same way she had Max and Isabel.

"I'm okay." Maria sighed and handed him a towel she'd gotten out a couple hours ago. When he gave her a questioning look, she explained, "I knew you'd be over here some time tonight."

He accepted the towel and dried off as best he could. "Thanks." He waited.

She finally gave in. "She's sickeningly sweet around Max, Isabel and me. And Max and Isabel are total space cadets. No pun intended."

He nodded. "Did she try anything on you?"

"No." Maria sat down on the edge of her bed with a sigh. Then a smile crept onto her lips.

"What?"

"I wish you could have seen the look on her face when Liz threw my soda on her. I wanted to applaud."

Michael grinned and Maria's smile faded and she looked away. He sat down next to her. "Maria?"

"It's just...hard, you know? Liz and Alex have been my friends, like, forever, and I feel like I'm betraying them even though I'm really not."

Michael draped an arm around her. "We'll find out who Tess really is and we'll get rid of her. And when we do, things will get back to normal." He didn't believe the words as they left his mouth, and Maria didn't either. They both had a feeling that nothing was ever going to be normal again.

Not by a long shot.

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Kyle was slouched down in the seat so he couldn't be seen, but was up high enough he could still see out the window. He glanced at the clock as the digits changed from 11:20 to 11:21. He caught sight of a movement out of the corner of his eye, and turned his attention to the real reason he was out this late on a school night.

He squinted against the rain droplets on his car window and watched as Michael Guerin slide out of the window of Maria DeLuca's house and took off jogging.

Kyle's frown deepened as he started the engine of his car, left the headlights off, and followed him.

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Phillip Evans had left early.

The case was won, and he had told Diane and the kids he wouldn't be home until the following afternoon, when he'd planned on catching a flight out of Denver. The plan had been to spend the night at the Ramada.

But as he had sat on the nicely made bed and attempted to watch the 10 o'clock news, he was overwhelmed with a need to go home.

Twenty minutes later he had taken a cab to the New Mexico border, and from then on, had borrowed a car from a friend of his who lived in Farmington.

By the time he was ten miles from Roswell, and was being pelted by a severe thunderstorm with hail and slanted rain, he had said to hell with the law and had done thirty over the limit. The only clear, rational thought going through his mind was: They need me.

He threw the car into park the second he pulled into the driveway, and made a dash for the house, getting drenched depite his efforts not to. He was inside his house by 4:09 a.m.

Phillip took the steps two at a time and hurried to his bedroom. Diane wasn't there. The covers had been thrown back, but the bed was empty.

His heart pounded as he stepped back into the hallway. His daughter's door was open a crack and he pushed it open, breathing a soft sigh of relief.

There in his daughter's bed was his wife, with his daughter and his son on either side of her, all three sound asleep.

Phillip stared for a moment, and allowed his racing heart to slow to its normal pace.

His family was safe and sound.

For now.


	14. Chapter 14

"Let love be without dissimiculation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good."

-Romans 12:9

You Were Meant For Me (Part 14)

Liz stuffed her third hour books into her locker. She had dreaded fourth period all morning until she finally convinced herself that it just wasn't worth going.

She closed her locker and leaned against it for a moment, trying to relax. Her mind wandered to the dream she'd had the previous night. Her grandmother had died months ago, but the dream she'd had was so real. If Maria were there, she'd probably tell Liz that her grandmother was trying to give her some message from the great beyond.

But Maria isn't here, Liz realized as hot tears stung her eyes. Maria was friends with Tess now.

Losing Max to Tess had hurt bad enough...but Maria had been her best friend for almost nine years. They were like sisters. They did everything together, talked about everything...Now she was gone, too.

Liz didn't get to dwell on it for long because she heard footsteps approaching her and she turned to see who it was. Great, she thought dryly. Just what I needed.

Tess strode right up to her until she was standing directly in front of her. Every muscle in Liz's body tensed as she stared right back at Tess. Tess may have Max and Isabel and Maria believing that she was a nice person, but Liz didn't buy her act for a second. And no way was she going to allow herself to be intimidated.

"Leave us alone, Elizabeth," Tess hissed, glaring at her. "Me, Max, Isabel and Maria. We don't want anything to do with you."

Liz held her ground, her eyes flashing as she felt the rage building inside her. "You don't scare me, Tess."

Tess leaned in closer to her. "I should," she whispered harshly.

"If you want a fight, you're going to get one," Liz snapped, struggling to control her anger. Go ahead and attack me right here in the hallway, Liz thought. Give me a reason to really pull out your hair one strand at a time.

They glared at each other for a long moment. Then Tess whispered again, "You've been warned." Then she turned and walked away.

Liz stared after her. When Tess disappeared, Liz leaned back against her locker for support. She felt really tired all of a sudden. What she really needed was some water. Cold water to calm her down. Yeah, she thought. That's what I need. She pushed away from the locker and hurried to the girl's restroom down the hall.

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Liz gripped onto the edge of the sink as she closed her eyes and waited for the dizziness to pass. Then she turned on the cold water and splashed two handfuls of water on her face, letting the coolness soothe her anger.

When she rose up and glanced in the mirror above the sink, she caught sight of a figure in the corner of the room, huddled in a defensive position. Her eyes widened as she realized who it was. Liz whirled around. "Isabel?" she asked tentatively. She didn't even look up. Liz bit her lip. She didn't know whether to get Max or Michael or Alex, or if she should stay and try to figure out what was wrong.

Well, gee, Liz, she chided herself. Max, Michael and Alex can't really come into the girl's restroom, now can they?

Liz took a deep breath and walked over to her. "Isabel?"

Isabel still didn't say anything, she didn't even move.

Liz stared at her for a long moment. Then she knelt down and reached out and touched her arm. "Isabel?"

Isabel blinked and her eyes focused on the girl kneeling beside her.

"Um, Isabel--are you all right?"

Isabel stared into the girl's deep brown eyes. A spark of recognition struck a chord somewhere within her. "Liz?"

"Yeah, it's me. Are you okay?"

Isabel continued to stare at her. Memories exploded into her mind.

*"I'm not trying to take him away from you. I could never even do that." *

*Liz and Alex at the hospital as Isabel took Alex's blood to replace Max's with it.*

*Liz and Isabel painting their toenails in the quad at school.*

Liz is my friend, Isabel realized, her eyes widening. And suddenly she started crying.

Liz stared at her in shock. "Isabel, what is it? What's wrong? Please tell me."

"I don't know--I can't fix it. Liz, I'm really scared!"

Liz put her arms around her. She and Isabel had never been close friends or anything, but little by little the past few months, Isabel had started to lose some of her iciness towards Liz, and had started to trust her as a friend, not just as the girl who knew her biggest secret.

Liz was overwhelmed by the feeling of terror. Not just fear, but pure terror. "Please help me, Liz," Isabel whispered.

Liz's mind flashed back to the night that Max had come to her, and had spoken almost those exact words. A shiver ran down her spine. "What are you afraid of, Isabel?" she asked, her voice stronger and more steady than she felt.

"The emptiness," Isabel whispered.

She didn't know what Isabel meant by that, but right now, she knew she had to find Michael. Or Max. "Isabel, let's go find Michael and Max, okay?"

"No! No, please!"

"Why not?"

Isabel's eyes darted around the room. "It's out there!"

Liz swallowed hard. Okay, Parker, stay calm. Stay in control, she commanded herself. She took a deep breath. "What do you want me to do?"

Isabel stared at her. "Call my mom. Please. She has the day off. Have her come and get me."

"Okay," she agreed. "I'll be right back and--"

"No!" Isabel grabbed Liz's arm. "Don't leave me here alone. Please!"

She stared down at Isabel. Never had she seen this girl lose her calm, collected manner before. Liz was scared. That's okay. I can be scared. I just have to stay in control of the situation, she thought. "Okay, Isabel. Come with me, and I'll call your mom, okay?" she said gently.

Isabel nodded and stood up, holding onto Liz's arm. Liz lead her out into the hallway, and to the payphone. She dug in her jeans pocket for some change and inserted it into the coin slot and picked up the reciever. She dialed the number without hesitation.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Evans?"

"Yes?"

"Hi. This is Liz Parker."

Diane blinked in surprise. "Hello, Liz. How are you?"

"I'm okay. Um, actually, I'm here with Isabel. She wanted me to call you and see if you could come and pick her up. She's not feeling well."

"Are you at school? Is she all right?"

"Yeah, we're at school. I think she may have the flu or something," Liz lied.

Diane's worry increased tenfold. Isabel had never been sick before. Not once. "I'll be right there, Liz. Will you stay with her until I get there?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Thank you." Diane hung up the phone. She didn't know how she knew it, but her daughter was safer with Liz there with her.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Liz turned to face Isabel. "Your mom's on her way. I'm going to stay with you until she gets here, okay?"

"Thank you," she whispered.

Liz nodded and lead them to a bench outside in the quad. They sat down. Liz was greatful that the rain had halted for the time being because she REALLY needed the fresh air right now.

"Liz!"

She turned to see Alex coming towards her. She waved at him and then glanced up at the sky as a ray of sunshine burst out from the clouds.

Alex stared wide-eyed at Isabel and then looked at Liz questioningly. Liz shook her head slightly and Alex sat down on the other side of Isabel. "What's up?"

Isabel gave him a small smile that quickly dissipated. "My mom's coming to get me."

"Is everything okay?" he asked in concern, searching her eyes.

When Isabel didn't answer, Liz said, "She's not feeling well."

"Is she okay?"

Liz met his worried eyes. "I wish I knew."

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Michael was sitting on a table in the quad when his gaze landed on three figures not far away. Liz, Alex and...Isabel?

He rose to his feet and headed for them, squinting against the sky. All three of them looked up. "Hey."

"Hey, Michael," Liz answered uneasily, glancing at Isabel.

Michael looked at her. She looked terrified and exhausted. He noticed the cloudiness that covered her eyes. "Iz?"

She looked up at him, her expression nervous.

Isabel and nervous. Two words that weren't natural together. A surge of anger coursed through his veins. Tess did this to her. To her and to Max. I will stop her, he thought.

He felt more than heard her approach.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Liz felt Isabel's hand tighten on her arm at the same time she felt a wave of coldness sweep over her. She glanced up at the sky, which had returned to its mass of solid gray clouds and was blotting out the sun.

Then she saw her.

Liz rose to her feet, Isabel standing next to her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Alex reach out and take Isabel's other hand.

Tess stopped a couple of feet from them. "Isabel, Max and Maria and I are going to lunch. Come with us."

Liz wasn't sure how she knew, but she knew beyond a doubt that Isabel didn't want to. She stepped in front of her, blocking Tess from her. "She doesn't want to go with you, Tess."

Tess glared at her, moving closer.

Suddenly Michael was right next to her. "Is there something you wanted?" he asked coldly.

"I want my friend Isabel to have lunch with me," she replied, her eyes never leaving Liz's.

"I don't think she wants to," Alex said, his tone flat as he felt Isabel increase her grip on his hand.

"I don't care what you think, dork!" Tess bit out harshly.

Liz stared her down, her eyes so cold Tess actually took a step back. "You're not wanted here. Leave," she commanded.

"Is something wrong here?"

Liz turned to see Mrs. Evans walking up from behind. Isabel let go of Liz and Alex and ran to her mother. "Mom!" Diane wrapped her arms around her daughter, holding her protectively.

"Hello, Mrs. Evans," Tess said sweetly, smiling at her.

Diane glanced from Tess to Liz. "Liz, is everything okay?"

Liz turned to look at Alex and Michael. "Yeah, she's just not feeling well."

Diane glanced down at Isabel. "Honey, why don't you go wait in the car, okay?" Isabel nodded and hurried away. Diane watched her go, and then turned back to the others. "Hello, Michael."

Michael smiled and nodded his head at her.

Diane looked at the other boy. "I'm sorry, but I don't know your name."

Alex stuck out his hand and she shook it. "Alex. Alex Whitman," he said quickly.

She smiled, liking him immediately. "Nice to meet you, Alex. Would you three excuse me? I'd like to speak to Liz for a moment."

Tess smiled at her again. "I'll see you tonight at dinner, Mrs. Evans."

Diane's eyes darkened momentarily as she caught the flash of hurt on Liz Parker's face. "Actually, we'll have to do it some other time. Phillip and I are planning a nice evening alone with the family."

Michael couldn't help smirk at Tess as she agreed and then walked away. Then he and Alex went in the opposite direction so Mrs. Evans could talk to Liz.

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Diane watched as Tess walked away, and then turned her gaze to Liz. Her eyes softened. "Thank you for helping Izzy."

Liz nodded. "It's not a problem."

"I've been worried about her and Max lately." Liz flinched at the mention of Max's name. Diane noticed. "Liz, I don't know what happened with you and my son, but he'll come around. He still cares for you very much."

Liz managed a small smile. "Thanks, Mrs. Evans."

Diane hesitated for a second. Then she reached out and pulled Liz into a hug. "Don't give up on him. He needs you. They both do," she whispered.

Liz hugged her back, unsure of what to say, and not even completly sure what Diane meant. She wasn't sure if Diane really knew, either.

"Take care of yourself."

"I will," Liz promised. She watched Diane walk away. Then she sat down on the bench, more confused than ever.

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Maria sat in uncomfortable silence across from Max as they waited for Isabel and Tess. She took a moment to study him. His dark eyes were a shade darker than usual and they seemed almost...cloudy.

Definitely brainwashed, she decided. She hoped that he and Isabel hadn't given Tess any clues to their real identity.

Of course, Maria thought, if they had, they'd be in some government lab right now.

The thought sent chills down her spine.

Tess walked up and smiled at her, and then kissed Max. "Hi."

Maria forced herself to smile and to resist the urge to reach out and throttle the stupid bitch. "Where's Isabel?'

"Oh, she wasn't feeling well. Your mother came and picked her up," she said to Max, who frowned.

"I should call home and make sure she's okay," Max said worriedly, standing up.

"No, Max. She's fine," Tess said sweetly, gazing into his eyes.

He sat back down. "I'm sure you're right."

Maria's eyes narrowed. No way would Max be talked out of checking on his sister if she was sick unless he was being controlled. And if he wasn't concerned about Isabel being sick after what happened to Michael, then that was even worse.

I'm running out of time, Maria realized. I have to find a way to stop her. Now.


	15. Chapter 15

"Dreams and visions are infused into men for their advantage and instruction."

-Artemidoros

You Were Meant For Me (Part 15)

"Liz, you need a ride home?" Alex asked as he leaned against the locker next to hers after school.

"Actually, I was kind of thinking about going to check on Isabel." She closed her locker and turned to face him.

"When do we go? Before or after work?" he asked immediatly, wanting to check on her himself.

"Thanks, Alex," she said softly, lowering her eyes to the floor.

He draped an arm around her shoulders. "That's what friends are for."

________________________________________________________

"Son, is everything okay?" Jim Valenti asked his son as he sat next to him on the couch, watching a basketball game.

Kyle glanced at the clock on the wall, then back at the television screen. "Yep."

Jim frowned as he noticed his son's continuous clock watching. "How's school going?"

"It's fine, Dad."

Jim watched the game in silence for a few minutes. Then, "Have you seen Liz Parker lately?"

Kyle snapped his head around to look at him. "Why?"

"I was just wondering how she and Max were."

"They broke up a couple weeks ago."

"They did?"

"Yeah. Evans dumped her for the new girl." Kyle glanced at the clock again.

"New girl?" Jim repeated, frowning.

"Yeah, yeah. Look, Dad, I gotta go," Kyle said, standing up.

"Wait-what's her name?"

"Whose?"

"The new girl."

"Tess Harding." Kyle grabbed his jacket and car keys. "I'll be back later."

"Kyle? Where are you going? Do you have a date?"

"Yeah, Dad. Something like that," he muttered as he stepped outside, closing the door behind him. He glanced down at his watch. "Time to find out what Guerin's up to."

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Liz stood next to Alex on the Evans' front porch, fidgeting anxiously as he rang the doorbell. Diane Evans appeared a moment later. "Liz, Alex. What a nice surprise."

Liz felt her anxiety fly away as Diane smiled at her. "Hi, Mrs. Evans. We came by to check on Isabel."

Diane held open the door. "Please, come in. Can I get you anything to drink? A soda? Tea?"

Alex grinned. "A soda would be great."

"Okay. Liz?"

"No, I'm fine, thanks."

Diane disappeared into the kitchen for a second, then reappeared, carrying a can of cherry cola. "Isabel's up in her room," she said, handing the can to Alex.

"Is she okay?" he asked, turning serious again.

"Well, she slept most of the day, and she doesn't seem to be running any fever. You can go on up and see her if you'd like."

Liz hesitated. "Is Max...?"

"He's not home yet," Diane assured her.

She nodded. "Thanks, Mrs. Evans." She followed Alex up the stairs.

"Which room is hers?" Alex asked, glancing down the hallway.

"It's across from Max's, I think." She knocked softly.

"Come in."

Isabel was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring out the window. She turned to see them, and her eyes widened. "Alex, Liz. Hi."

Liz offered her a tentative smile. "Hi, Isabel. How are you feeling?"

"Better. Thanks."

Alex sat down next to her. "So, you're not sick like Michael was, right?"

She shook her head. "I'm okay. I don't know what happened. I just felt really exhausted."

Liz sat down on the other side of her. "Isabel, you sort of said something strange earlier."

"What did I say?"

"That you were afraid of the emptiness. What did you mean?"

Isabel frowned. "I said that?"

"You don't remember?" Alex shot Liz a worried glance.

"I don't know what I meant...that seems to be happening a lot lately," she murmured.

"What do you mean?" Liz asked carefully.

Isabel hesitated.

Alex touched her hand. "It's okay. We just want to help you, Isabel."

She met his eyes. "I've been having this weird dream. I don't remember much about it, but I can hear this voice...It keeps saying, 'Tiponi' over and over. I have no idea what that means."

Liz frowned. "What feeling do you get from the dream?"

Isabel looked over at her. "Joy."

"Well, then it's a good thing, right?" Alex commented. "I mean, if it gives you a good feeling, then whatever 'Tiponi' means can't be a bad thing."

Isabel smiled. "Good point. Thanks, Alex."

He smiled back. "Anytime."

Liz glanced at her watch. "I have to get to work. Isabel, if you need anything, call me, okay?"

She nodded. "I will. Thank you."

Alex and Liz stood up. "See you later, Isabel." They walked down the stairs.

Diane smiled. "Thanks for stopping by, kids."

Alex held up his can of cherry cola. "Thanks for the soda."

Diane escorted them to the door. "Take care," she said as she closed the door behind them.

"She seemed better," Alex remarked, glancing at Liz as they descended the porch steps.

"Yeah, maybe she--" Liz stopped mid-sentence and froze in her steps.

"Liz?" Alex turned to see who she was looking at.

Maria stood less than six feet from them, looking at Liz. The girls stared at one another for a long moment in absolute silence. Then Maria broke eye contact and walked right past them up to the Evans' porch.

Alex felt a chill run down his spine and he reached out to touch Liz's arm. She pulled away from him and started to walk towards the car. "I need to go or I'll be late for work."

He stared after her for a second. Then he turned to look at Maria, who was staring at him. He glared at her for a moment and then followed Liz.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael shut the grill off and stretched his arms above his head, thankful that his shift was over for the evening. He glanced out front and saw Kyle Valenti still sitting there, drinking his fifth soda for the night.

He narrowed his eyes, wondering if Kyle was trying to weasel his way back into Liz's life now that Max was out of the picture.

Temporarily out of the picture, he reminded himself. Once we figure out how to get rid of Tess, Max will be back IN the picture. Permanently.

He smiled wryly, remembering how not too long ago he had been dead set against Max and Liz's relationship.

He heard a muffled sound from the back room and he frowned. He glanced out the window into the front of the Crashdown again and saw that Kyle had left. Michael took off his apron and stepped into the back room. Liz was sitting on the sofa, her head in her hands, crying.

He swallowed hard. Shit, he thought. He sat down next to her on the couch. "Liz?"

She jumped to her feet, wiping her eyes quickly and turning to face him. "Sorry, I-I'm stressed out."

He nodded. "Do you want to talk about it or something?" he asked hesitantly. God, I suck at this. Where's Alex and Max when you need them?

Liz stared at him. "Alex and I went over to check on Isabel and as we were leaving, we ran into Maria." Her eyes filled with tears again and she quickly turned away.

Michael stood up, unsure of what he could say to make her feel better.

"I'm sorry," she said again. "It's just...Maria's always been like a sister to me and this is really hard."

He cringed. Then he reached out and touched her shoulder. "It'll be okay. Everything's going to turn out like it's supposed to."

Liz turned to face him. "Thanks, Michael."

"Why don't you go ahead and take off? I can lock up."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, no problem."

She turned to go upstairs to the apartment.

"Liz?"

"Yeah?"

"Look, I just wanted to say...Whatever's between you and Max...I mean...If you need anything, you know where to find me."

She looked at him in surprise. "Okay. Thank you."

Michael nodded and watched her disappear up the stairs. Then his eyes darkened. Tess Harding was going to pay for screwing with the people he cared about.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just when you think your life couldn't possibly become any stranger, it does. When Max saved me all those months ago, I accepted the fact that things were different. Different was good. I welcomed the change with open arms.

Things of course, were dangerous and bad at times, but the good times always made the bad ones easier to accept. But now...Now it seems like we've all become surrounded by this inherent darkness.

Max and Tess are still together, and Isabel and Maria have befriended her as well. Words cannot even touch upon how that makes me feel. While Michael seems to dislike her as much as I do, Alex has been my rock.

He's been the one person that I can count on through this whole mess. The one person who doesn't judge me or criticize me for feeling how I feel. And while I'm greatful for his support and friendship, I can't help but feel that something else is about to change. Something that will effect all six of us forever. And I'm scared to find out what it is.

"Liz?"

She closed her journal and turned to see Alex standing in her room, looking out the window at her. "Hey."

He climbed out onto the roof. "I used the key--you didn't answer when I rang the bell. Michael said you needed someone to talk to." He sat down next to her. "Where are your parents?'

"They're gone until Saturday. Some small business owner's expo in Denver." She gazed up at the stars, trying to prevent herself from crying again.

Alex watched her carefully. "Liz, it's okay. You don't have to fight it."

"I feel like I'm losing everything to her," she whispered.

Alex draped an arm around her shoulders. "You have me. I'm not going anywhere."

"How could she do this? She's supposed to be my friend. She's like my sister, Alex!"

He closed his eyes and pulled her into his arms, holding her close while she cried. God he hated it when she cried.

"I don't know how much more I can take," she whispered.

He brushed the hair out of her eyes and kissed her forehead. "We'll get through this, Liz. I promise." He looked up at the stars. God help Max and Tess if Alex Whitman ever got a chance to get back at them for hurting people he cared about.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maria lay in bed, crying into her pillow. She and Liz had never got into any kind of serious fight before. Sure, they'd had petty arguments back in grade school and junior high, but those never lasted for more than an hour.

They'd practically been joined at the hip since they'd met in Kindergarten. They had never gone for more than twelve hours without talking.

When they were younger, Maria would always go with Liz when the Parkers went on vacation. Liz would stay with Maria and her mom when her parents went away on business trips. They had sleepovers every other weekend. They went to parties and on shopping trips together.

Then they'd met Alex in fifth grade, and he'd instantly become a best friend. It hadn't been the least bit akward. Both she and Liz had always been completly comfortable with Alex.

And they'd been there for one another, through good times and bad. They were the Three Muskateers. They looked out for each other and helped one another on homework and took care of each other when one of them was sick or hurt.

But now, Maria had to pretend like she didn't care about either one of them anymore so she could expose Tess for the coniving little monster that she was so that she could protect three other people she cared for.

"You're doing it for them, too," a voice said quietly as he touched her shoulder.

Maria turned over in bed to see Michael sitting next to her. "I didn't even hear you come in," she said, wiping her eyes.

"Yeah, you were crying pretty hard." He leaned down and kissed her gently.

Surprised, she sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. When it ended, they leaned their foreheads together. "Tell me everything's going to be okay," she whispered.

He closed his eyes. "Everything's going to be okay."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alex woke up with a start. He sat straight up, his heart pounding wildly. He recognized his surroundings--he had fallen asleep on the Parker's sofa. He threw off the blanket that covered him, and he stood up. Jesus, what a nightmare, he thought, shaking his head.

Alex walked down the hallway to Liz's room, slipping inside silently. He was relieved to see she was sleeping, safe and sound. He closed his eyes for a moment. It was just a dream. Liz is still alive, he told himself. He leaned down and pulled the comforter up over her.

An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. He walked over and pulled Liz's bedroom window shut. He started out of the room, but hesitated as he reached the door.

Then he darted out into the living room and grabbed his pillow and blanket and went back to her room. He dropped the pillow to the ground and laid down, pulling the quilt over himself. But it was a long time before Alex fell asleep again.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The answers are here, Honeybear," Grandma Claudia said, motioning to the house on the beach.

Liz looked at it. "What answers?"

"The ones you and your friends have been searching for. They're inside."

"I don't understand."

Grandma Claudia leaned forward, winking at her. "Tiponi," she whispered.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Liz opened her eyes, squinting against the morning light flooding through her window. She glanced at her clock. The digits read 5:56.

"Tiponi," she whispered. That was the same thing Isabel had said the day before. But what did it mean? She didn't know, but she had to find out.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, blinking in surprise, and being momentarily distracted when she saw Alex curled up on her floor asleep. Liz was almost sure he'd fallen asleep on the sofa the previous night. When had he moved to her room? And why? She shook her head, remembering the task at hand.

She hated to wake him, but she had to tell someone what she was doing. "Alex," she whispered, kneeling next to him on the floor.

He opened his eyes and looked up at her. "Liz?" he mumbled.

"Alex, I'm going to California. I'm leaving this morning." She stood up and hurried to her closet.

Alex sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What?"

"I'm going to California to my grandmother's vacation house." She pulled some clothes out of her closet and unzipped her suitcase simataneously.

He stared at her in shock. "California? Why?"

"I think my grandma found something in her research, Alex."

He watched as she folded the clothes and tucked them into the suitcase. "What makes you think that? What do you think she found out?"

"I think she knew something about what Isabel said yesterday. I think she found out something about their origins in her research, and I'm going to find out what."

Alex stood up. "Why do you say that?"

"A feeling. I've been dreaming about her all week. She keeps telling me that the answers are in her vacation house."

"Liz, I'm not sure this is a good idea. I mean, you're going to drive to California because of a dream?"

"No. I'm taking the 8 o'clock train out of Greenridge." She turned to face him. "It's more than a dream, Alex. I think she's trying to tell me something. No, I KNOW she is. I feel it. I'm going."

"Then I'm going with you." She stopped and stared at him. "Hey, if you can skip school to go to the beach, I'm not getting left behind."

Liz grinned. "I'm going to take a quick shower."

"Okay." He watched as she disappeared into the bathroom. Then he shook his head and grabbed the telephone off her desk, and dialed a number.

"This is Michael. Leave a message."

Beep.

"Michael, it's Alex. Liz and I are going out of town for a couple of days. We'll be at Liz's grandmother's vacation house. It's a long story, but I wanted to let someone know what was going on in case--" Alex cut himself off. "Just in case."


	16. Chapter 16

"If you don't control your mind, someone else will."

-John Allston

You Were Meant For Me (Part 16)

"Can I get you a drink?" Alex offered as he stood in front of the soda machine at the Tucson train station. "Pepsi?"

Liz glanced up at him from her seat on the bench. "Actually, a pink lemonade sounds good."

He frowned. "Liz, you hate lemonade."

"I know. But for some reason, it sounds really good."

Alex shrugged and inserted some money into the machine. He grabbed the bottle of lemonade and the bottle of orange soda.

Liz took the bottle of lemonade from him and as Alex watched in amazement, she took a long drink of it with her eyes closed. He shook his head and glanced at his watch. It was almost five and their connecting train to California was going to begin boarding any minute.

Alex wondered if Michael had gotten his message yet. And he wondered if Isabel was doing better today.

"All boarding Engine 4 to Maples, California!"

Alex glanced at Liz and picked up his guitar case and duffel bag. "That's us."

She nodded, picked up her suitcase and followed him. "California, here we come."

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Maria felt Tess's eyes on her as she attempted to focus on the vegetarian lasagna on her plate. "This is delicious, Mrs. Evans."

Diane smiled at her. "Thank you, Maria."

Maria nodded and glanced over at Isabel, who was ghostly pale and had barely touched her dinner.

"May I be excused?" Isabel asked.

Diane exchanged a look with her husband. "Are you all right, honey?"

"I'm still not feeling well, Mom." Her eyes practically pleaded with her mother.

Diane glanced at Tess, who was watching Isabel carefully. "Yeah, go ahead, Izzy. You're excused."

Isabel all but fled from the room.

Maria swallowed hard and looked at Max, who'd been silent all evening. He was staring blankly at his plate, capturing lasagna noodles with his fork and stuffing each bite into his mouth, chewing slowly and then repeating the action.

Like a robot, Maria thought. She supressed a shudder as she took a long drink of water.

Her gaze travelled back to Tess, and for a second she could have sworn she saw the girl glaring at Diane Evans. Then Tess looked up and met Maria's eyes.

Maria quickly looked away. She had no idea how Tess had managed to brainwash Max and Isabel, but she'd damned if she would be victim #3. The thought sent another chill down her spine and suddenly she couldn't wait until dinner was over and she could leave. She needed to see Michael, to feel his arms around her, holding her, keeping her safe.

But she knew that none of them would be safe until she could get the FBI out of Roswell. But first she had to get proof that Tess was FBI. If she didn't, then it would be the end of everything...Max, Isabel, and eventually Michael would become the stars of some god-forsaken alien autopsy video, and then when they found out Liz was pregnant with Max's baby, God only knew what they'd do to her and the baby.

She wouldn't let that happen.

Maria steeled her nerves as she helped clean off the table.

Tess carried her plate to the sink and rinsed it.

Diane started to run some dishwater in the sink, but Maria touched her arm. "Mrs. Evans, you've been so nice to invite us to dinner. Let Tess and I clean up. It's the least we can do. Right, Tess?"

Tess smiled. "Of course."

"Well, I appreciate that. Thank you, girls." Diane and Phillip left the room.

Maria glanced at Max. "Why don't you go check on Iz and see if she's all right?"

Max blinked. "Iz?"

"Yeah, you know. Your sister Isabel. She wasn't feeling well, remember? What are you, Max, in some kind of trance?" Maria asked as she looked directly at Tess. The girl didn't even flinch.

"Max, go ahead and see if Isabel's okay," Tess agreed, meeting his eyes.

"Yeah, okay." He wandered out of the kitchen and up the stairs, leaving Maria and Tess alone.

Tess looked at Maria. "I have the feeling you've been wanting to say something to me all evening."

Maria met her eyes this time. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you kept staring at me during dinner."

Maria smiled. "Very perceptive, aren't you?"

"Very," Tess agreed.

"Actually, I was wondering something. Is your hair naturally curly?"

For a second, Tess looked confused. "Yes."

"Okay." Maria turned to the sink and began washing the dishes. She could feel Tess staring at her, and the suspicion she held. "I'm worried about Isabel."

"Why?"

"She's just...been acting strange for the past few days. Not like herself at all. More like a stranger."

"Well, we're all strangers now aren't we?"

Maria moved so she could look into Tess's eyes. "How true. But some people are more strange than others. Don't you agree?" Maria noticed a flicker of worry pass her eyes. "But sometimes people find out who those strangers really are. And sometimes those strangers just disappear and are never seen or heard from again."

Tess took a small step away from her.

Maria smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Not that we know anyone like that. Right, Tess?" She turned back to the sink.

Tess never said another word all night.

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Sheriff Valenti slouched in the seat of his car and watched as Max Evans and the new girl Tess stepped onto the front porch of Max's house.

He couldn't hear what was being said, but she was the one talking. A moment later, Max bent down to kiss her. Then she turned, walked down the drive, and climbed into her car.

Valenti waited until she was halfway down the road and Max had gone back inside before starting his car and following her.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kyle Valenti was bored. He'd been sitting outside Michael Guerin's apartment for the past three hours and the guy hadn't come out once.

What the hell was going on anyway?

Liz and Alex hadn't been at school that day, and neither had Isabel Evans... And when he'd tried calling Liz's house, there was no answer. There was no answer at Alex's house either. And Liz and Alex were two of the only students in the entire sophomore class who rarely missed school.

He hadn't tried calling the Evans' house. What would he say? "Hi, I was calling to see if Isabel needed the notes from history, and oh, yeah. You wouldn't happen to know where my ex-girlfriend is, would you?"

Yeah, right.

Kyle knew Liz was having difficulty dealing with seeing Max and Tess together. And now with Maria befriending the girl, too...He might not have liked Alex while he was growing up, but he was glad Liz had him for support.

But still.

Seeing Liz and Alex in one place, and Maria ignoring them was really strange. Liz, Maria, and Alex had always been the Three Muskateers, ever since Mr. Raddish's class in the fifth grade.

It was as strange as seeing Max, Isabel and Michael separated.

For awhile it was like the six of them had become one big group, with all of them paired off. Liz and Max, Alex and Isabel, Michael and Maria.

"And speaking of Maria," he muttered as he watched her climb out of her red jetta and run up the stairs to Michael's apartment building.

Now why would they pretend to hate one another at school when every night Michael would go to Maria's house or she would go to his?

It didn't make any sense.

But Kyle was going to figure it out. Even if it was the last thing he did.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As soon as he opened the door, Michael pulled her inside his apartment and kissed her.

When the kiss ended, Maria stared up at him in surprise. "I've been wanting to do that all day," he admitted.

Maria smiled, then she closed the door and locked it. "I just came from dinner with the Evans' and Tess."

He stared at her. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to do that?"

"I couldn't. It was a last minute thing."

"How am I supposed to protect you if you don't tell me what's going on?" he asked, anger edging into his voice.

While part of her was touched by his concern, the other part was annoyed. "Look, buddy, I'm trying to protect all of you, all right?"

Michael turned away from her. "Dammit, Maria! You put yourself in danger!"

She sighed, counted to ten, and managed to keep her voice calm. "Michael, I was safe, okay? Max and Isabel's parents were there. Everything was fine."

He closed his eyes, remembering the dream he'd had about Maria dying. He spun around and to her surprise, he pulled her into his arms. "I don't want anything to happen to you!" he said fiercely.

Maria softened and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I know."

He kissed the top of her head. "So what happened?"

She described everything that had happened--from the way Isabel had acted--to the conversation she'd had with Tess in the kitchen.

"So she was nervous?" Michael leaned his hands on the counter and stared at the floor.

"She was very nervous." Maria looked at the phone. "Michael, you have a message on your machine."

He turned to look at it. "I keep forgetting to check the damn thing." He hit play and the tape rewound.

"Michael, it's Alex."

Michael and Maria exchanged a frown.

"Liz and I are going out of town for a couple of days. We'll be at Liz's grandmother's vacation house. It's a long story, but I wanted to let someone know what was going on in case--" There was a brief pause. "Just in case."

Maria's eyes were wide. "Why would they go to California?"

His frown deepened. "I don't know. But maybe it's a good thing."

"A good thing?"

"Yeah. That's two less people in danger. And with any luck, we'll have Tess out of Roswell before they come back."

"Aren't you worried at all?"

Michael shrugged. "The farther they are from the FBI spies here, the better. And Alex will watch after Liz. He won't let anything happen to her. Then things can go back to normal."

Maria raised an eyebrow. "You mean besides the fact that Liz is pregnant with Max's baby and we have no idea how that will effect her or the child?"

"One problem at a time, Maria. We get rid of Tess first. Then we'll figure out how to handle the whole pregnancy thing."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alex held open the door of the taxi and reached down to help Liz out. She took his hand and climbed out of the car. He handed the driver some money and grabbed their things out of the trunk, and watched as the cab drove away.

It was 10 p.m. and the sky was filled with beautiful twinkling stars. Alex turned to see Liz staring up the drive of her grandmother's vacation house on the beach. He stood beside her. "Liz?"

She didn't look at him, just leaned down and picked up her suitcase. "Let's go."

Alex took a deep breath and followed her up the path. Whatever they found here, he hoped it was good.

They could use some good news for a change.


	17. Chapter 17

"The question is not if you are paranoid, it is if you are paranoid enough."

-Unknown

You Were Meant For Me (Part 17)

Alex woke up on an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room. He blinked, looking around. It took him a moment to remember he was at Liz's grandma's house.

He rubbed his eyes and squinted to see the digits on his wrist watch. It wasn't quite 5 a.m.

He let his eyes close again, still tired from all the travelling they'd done to get here yesterday. But he wasn't tired enough to actually go back to sleep. So he just laid in bed for a few moments, relaxing.

He'd slept in the guest room--the room that Liz used to use when she would come to visit Grandma Claudia. Liz had slept in her gradmother's room.

Alex wondered if she was awake yet. She'd wanted to straight to searching the house last night, but after much conjoling, Alex finally managed to convince her to get some sleep and wait until the morning to start searching.

He listened for a moment, but the only thing he heard was the ocean outside, waves lapping at the shore. An image from his dream the night before last flashed through his mind.

Liz lying on the ground dead.

It propelled him out of bed and he quickly got dressed and made his way across the hall. He knocked on the door and when he did, it opened slightly. "Liz?"

When she didn't answer, he pushed the door open the rest of the way and looked inside. The bed was made neatly and all was silent.

He stepped back into the hallway and walked down to the kitchen. No Liz. He looked in the living room, the dining room, and even poked his head into the basement, but she wasn't there either.

Alex frowned as he moved to the back door. He walked outside onto the deck and leaned against the wooden rail.

There she was--about two hundred yards out, her back to him as she sat in the soft sand, staring out at the ocean as the sun began to rise.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jim Valenti had been up all night.

He had followed Tess Harding back to her apartment after she'd left the Evans' the night before. And now she was leaving again--presumably to go to school.

He debated inwardly whether to follow her or whether to do something he'd never thought he'd do.

He thought about Kathleen Topolsky--about what she'd said about a special FBI task force--alien hunters.

He thought about his father and about Hubble--two people who had been driven to find the truth. One whom had killed, and would have again, and the other whom had been blamed for the death of that person Hubble had killed.

Then he thought about Max Evans. And he thought about his son.

And Jim Valenti knew what he had to do.

He opened his car door and stepped out, gazing up at the old apartment building. "Let's find out what you're hiding, Ms. Harding," he said quietly.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Liz heard the faint notes of Alex's guitar coming from the deck. It was softer than his usual music--more like something Maria would have made him play while she was singing with his band. And the song sounded familiar. A few seconds later, she heard his voice.

"I hear the clock, it's 6 a.m.  
I feel so far from where I've been  
Got my eggs, got my pancakes, too  
Got my maple syrup  
Everything but you..."

She closed her eyes. The song fit how she was feeling perfectly. And, she thought, Alex must be feeling the same way about Isabel.

"...Dreams last so long  
Even after you're gone  
I know that you love me  
And soon you will see  
You were meant for me  
And I was meant for you..."

If she and Max weren't supposed to be together, then why had he saved her that day at the Crashdown?

And how was it possible that their connection was so strong, it had allowed her to tap into his powers and heal Alex the night he'd been stabbed? That alone had to mean something.

That and the fact that even though it seemed the fates were trying to keep them apart, they kept returning to one another.

"...Put on my pj's and hop into bed  
I'm half alive but I feel mostly dead  
I try and tell myself it'll all be all right  
I just shouldn't think anymore tonight..."

She opened her eyes and stared out across the ocean. The sun was only partially hidden by dark clouds--a storm was coming.

"...Dreams last so long  
Even after you're gone  
I know that you love me  
And soon I know you will see  
You were meant for me  
And I was meant for you  
Yeah, you were meant for me  
And I was meant for you..."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Valenti stared at the computer screen. He'd spent half the morning here in the Albuquerque forensics labs, alone. He didn't want to take the chance on trusting someone he didn't know.

So he'd run the fingerprinting results through the computer database himself.

And his suspicions had been confirmed.

Tess Harding was an undercover FBI agent.


	18. Chapter 18

"One may smile, and smile, and be a villain."

-William Shakespeare

You Were Meant For Me (Part 18)

"So...what exactly are we looking for?" Alex asked, glancing over at Liz who was sitting in the middle of the floor in her gradmother's office, going through boxes.

"I don't know," she admitted. She looked up at him. "But I will when I find it."

Their eyes met and he nodded.

"Where do I start?"

"Her computer?" Liz suggested. "You're much better at that sort of thing than I am."

He smiled. "Computer it is then."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jim Valenti waited outside the school for Max Evans, and when he finally came out, he walked out of the building with Tess Harding.

"Damn," Valenti muttered. He spotted someone else, and he quickly climbed out of his car. "Ms. DeLuca!"

Maria looked over at him, her eyes narrowing. "Sheriff Valenti. What are you doing here?"

"I need you to come with me. There's something you should know about your friend Tess."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Nothing." Alex sat back in the desk chair and stared at the blue computer screen. When he didn't hear a response, he turned to look at his friend.

She was looking through some kind of book, crying quietly.

Alex moved to sit next to her on the floor, and he realized she was looking at an old photo album.

"This was Grandma and me when we were on vacation a few years ago. She took me to Disneyland when I came out to visit her." Liz flipped the page. "Oh, and this is all of us at Thanksgiving when we had that dinner at the Crashdown in fifth grade and she showed up to surprise me. Remember that?"

"Yeah." He smiled. He remembered that Thanksgiving pretty well. Liz and Max had somehow formed this idea to have a huge, community Thanksgiving dinner...the Parker's, the Whitman's, the Evans' and the DeLuca's, and Michael Guerin all celebrated the occasion at the Crashdown.

It was so strange--how even back then--in fifth grade...all of their lives had been so inexplicably intertwined.

Will we ever do that again? he wondered. Will we ever be like one big family again?

He missed the others. Maria, Isabel...Even Max, though it was more because he knew how badly Liz missed and needed him.

Alex listened patiently as Liz told him about all the different pictures in her grandmother's photo album. He put his arm around her and she leaned her head on his shoulder. At least they still had one another. And maybe they'd get the rest of their family back soon. He wasn't ready to give up yet.

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"...As the walls are closing in  
And the colors fade to black  
And my eyes are falling fast  
And deep into me..."

Diane Evans watched as her daughter stared sullenly out her bedroom window.

"...And I follow the tracks that lead me down  
And I never follow what's right  
And they wonder sometimes when  
They see all the sadness and pain  
The truth brings to light..."

Diane shivered slightly as that tense, uneasy feeling crawled back into her stomach. "Isabel?"

"Yeah?" Isabel didn't turn around.

Diane shivered again. "Do you want some hot chocolate or tea?"

"No."

"...Cause I can't see no reason  
What is blind cannot see..."

Diane stared at her. Isabel seemed so...lost. After a moment of hesitation, she walked into her daughter's bedroom and wrapped her arms around her tightly.

*I remember the orphanage. Um...I most clearly remember seeing you and Daddy the day that you came to adopt us, and you were wearing this yellow sweater. And I remember thinking that it was like the sun. That you were like the sun.*

Diane blinked back tears and held her closer. She didn't know what was wrong with Isabel or Max, but she would not lose her children. She was their mother. And God help whoever tried to hurt a mother's children.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael stared out at the empty cafe from the kitchen window. When no waitresses show up to work, you tend to lose business.

"Michael!"

He turned around when he heard Maria's urgent voice. She came racing into the kitchen, followed by Sheriff Valenti.

His eyes narrowed. "What's he doing here?"

"He's here to--"

"Tell you that your friend Max is in a lot of danger." Sheriff Valenti met his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Michael demanded.

"Tess Harding. She isn't a new girl in town."

"Who is she?"

Maria looked up at him. "She's FBI."

He stared at her for a moment and then eyed Valenti with suspicion. "How do you know?"

"Because I ran her fingerprints through the database in Albuquerque. It's a national database of everyone who has either been arrested for a crime, or works for the Federal Government. Tess Harding is an agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation."

"Why are you helping us?"

"Michael!" Maria sounded frustrated.

"It's okay, Maria." Sheriff Valenti looked down at her. "He has every right to be suspicious. After everything that's happened in the past few months, I'd expect no less. But I am on your side, Michael." He turned to go, but stopped and turned to face them again. "And be careful. If I'm not at my office and you need to reach me, call me at home." And with that, he turned and walked away.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Diane waited anxiously by the front door. It was almost 5. He should have been home by now. A few moments later she heard the key turn in the lock.

Max and Tess stepped inside, both surprised to see her standing there.

"Max, where have you been? I've been worried sick!" Diane said, her voice thick with tears.

"We were at the library, Mrs. Evans," Tess said sweetly.

Something inside of her snapped. "Max, go upstairs and check on Isabel."

Max stood still, staring at her blankly.

"Go ahead, Max. I'll see you tomorrow at school," Tess encouraged him.

With those words, Max turned and hurried up the stairs.

Diane had never been filled with such a hatred for anyone as she was now, staring at Tess. "I don't know who you are, or what you want. You're not welcome in my home anymore, and you're going to stay away from my children!"

Tess just continued to smile.

If it was possible, it made her even more furious. "I know that you've done something to them, and if you don't stay away from Max and Isabel, I will kill you!"

"Mrs. Evans, you don't know who they are--"

"Get out of my house!" Diane screamed, all of her anger and fear surging to the surface. She moved towards Tess, who quickly backed out the door and ran to her car.

Diane slammed the front door and dead-bolted it. Then she backed up against it, slid down to the floor, put her face in her hands and cried.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I don't think it's here," Liz said with a sigh as she finished going through her grandmother's file cabinet.

"It'd be nice if we knew what *it* was," Alex muttered as he started putting papers back into the box he'd been going through. They'd been searching the office all afternoon and hadn't turned up anything that seemed even slightly indicative of Liz's dream.

"I'm sorry I dragged you here," he heard her say quietly.

"You didn't. I kind of just told you I was going with you, remember?" He turned to face her and saw she was clutching onto her grandma's desk with one hand and her head with the other. "Liz!" He rushed to her side.

"I'm okay. Headache," she said, squeezing her eyes shut.

"You're really pale. You should lie down," he said quickly, taking hold of her arm.

"No, I'm all right. Really." Even as she spoke, her face contorted in pain.

"Lean on me," he instructed as he slid his arm around her. They stepped slowly towards the couch, but then she started to collapse. "Liz!" Alex quickly picked her up and carried her the rest of the way, laying her down gently on the sofa. "Lizzie, can you hear me?"

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You ready?" Michael asked, glancing at Maria as they stood in the back of the Crashdown.

"She'll be here any second."

"Maria?"

"Show time," Maria muttered as she took a deep breath and stepped out front to greet her guest. "Tess, hi. Glad you could make it."

Tess narrowed her eyes as Michael walked out right behind her. "What's going on?"

"Let's make this short and simple."

"We know who you are," Michael informed her, glaring at her coldly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tess replied coolly, folding her arms across her chest.

"We know that you've been brainwashing Max and Isabel, and we know that you're an FBI agent," Maria spat out.

A flicker of worry crossed Tess's eyes and then disappeared. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Really?" Maria looked at Michael. "You're a 29 year old FBI agent, born and raised in Pittsburg, Pennsylania. Birth date 7-22-1970. Your parents' names are Glen and Kate Harding, he's retired from the Marines, and she's a former police officer. You attended Yale University and double-majored in psychology and accounting, at which point you applied to the FBI and though a bit younger than they usually allow, you passed all of their testing with flying colors. In fact, you scored the highest on the tests of all of your peers. You have a dog named Blue and two goldfish name Spike and Spot. You take your coffee with sugar and cream. Did I leave anything out?"

Michael shook his head. "I think that about covers it."

She turned to face Tess, who had visibly gone pale. She smirked. "Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of and stay there. Because if you ever show your face here in Roswell again, you're going to be very sorry," Maria warned, her voice dropped to a deadly whisper.

Tess turned around and fled without saying a word.

Michael and Maria watched her go. She looked up at him. "Well, we got rid of the FBI again."

He nodded, his eyes staring after Tess. "Yeah. For now."

"As long as we stick together, we can get through anything," she said softly.

Michael smiled the first time in a few days, allowing himself to relax a bit. Then he leaned down and kissed his girlfriend. "I think you're right," he whispered.


	19. Chapter 19

"Don't unlock doors you're not prepared to go through."

-The X-Files

You Were Meant For Me (Part 19)

Liz opened her eyes and looked up into the very worried face of Alex Whitman. He was holding a cool wet wash rag to her forehead, and saying something she couldn't understand. She closed her eyes and tried to force herself to listen to what he was saying.

"...call an ambulance..."

Her eyes flew open and she grabbed his hand to stop him from getting up. "No," she said, her voice sounding raspy. She struggled to sit up, but he blocked her attempt.

"No--just relax, okay?" Alex said gently. "I'm going to get you a glass of water." He stood up and disappeared.

Liz let her head fall back against the pillow under her neck and stared up at the ceiling. Her head was throbbing. She could see little splotches of light flashing in front of her eyes. That can't be good, she thought.

Alex returned seconds later, sliding his arm under her neck and helping her sit up just enough so she didn't choke on the water as she took a few sips from the glass he held to her lips. Then he helped her lie down again.

"Better?" he asked, staring at her worriedly.

"Yeah," she lied, trying to focus her eyes on him rather than the colorful, dancing splotches.

He looked at her, unconvinced. "I really think I should get you to a hospital."

"No, Alex, I'm fine, really," she argued. She forced herself to sit up. "It's just because I haven't eaten anything today. I got dizzy. No big deal."

"Liz, you blacked out. That is a big deal."

She forced the brightest smile she could manage. "See? I'm fine."

"You're pale."

Liz stood up slowly and walked across the room. "I want to check out the basement."

"No." Alex was by her side in an instant. "You need to eat."

She sighed. "What am I supposed to eat? There's no food in the fridge."

"Then we'll call for delivery." Alex folded his arms across his chest and looked at her.

Liz knew it was pointless to argue with him when he got like this. "Okay, okay. Go dial the phone and order us a pizza." Alex started off. "And none of those little green things on it, either!" she called after him.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael gripped onto Maria's hand as they stood on the Evans' front door step. She reached up and rang the bell.

A moment later, Diane Evans opened the door, eyes red-rimmed and cheeks tear-stained. "Hello, Michael. Maria."

"Mrs. Evans, can we come in?" Maria asked.

She hesitated. "Max and Isabel aren't feeling well. I'm not sure if--"

"Please," Michael said quietly. He met her eyes and for a long moment they stared at one another.

Then after what seemed like an eternity, Diane stepped aside and let them in. Maria squeezed Michael's hand and smiled briefly at Mrs. Evans before hurrying up the staircase with Michael right behind her.

They paused outside Max's door. Then Michael knocked.

"Come in."

Maria and Michael exchanged a look before opening the door and stepping inside. Max was lying in bed, one hand clutching his head, and the other his stomach.

"Max?"

Max opened his eyes and looked over at them. His eyes were full of confusion.

Maria realized she was going to have to be the one to make the first move as she watched Michael hang back in the doorway. She stepped forward and looked down at him. "How are you feeling?"

He closed his eyes. "Like I've been hit by a truck."

She glanced back at Michael, whose face was completely blank. She turned her attention to Max again. "Michael and I need to talk to you about what's been happening with you and Isabel."

His face registered even more confusion. "What do you mean?"

Maria took a deep breath. "Michael, go get Isabel."

Without a word, he disappeared. A moment later, he returned, an arm wrapped around Isabel's shoulders as he helped her over to sit on Max's bed.

Maria looked at her. In the last few days, she had seen Isabel Evans look more lost, and more vulnerable than she ever had. And right now, the haunted look in the girl's eyes sent chills down her spine. Max's eyes didn't look much better.

She turned to Michael. "Do you want me to tell them, or do you want me to?"

Michael looked at her, and then at Max and Isabel. "We're here because of Tess."

At the mention of her name, Isabel began to tremble. Maria's heart went out to her. She sat down on the bed next to her and held her hand. "It's okay, Isabel. She's gone."

"Gone?" Isabel repeated.

"She's FBI," Michael said quietly.

"She was brainwashing you to try and get the truth about who you really are," Maria added.

Max and Isabel both stared at them.

"She was FBI?" Isabel asked, her voice barely audible.

Maria nodded.

Michael glanced at Max. He appeared to be in a daze. "Maxwell?"

Max blinked and shook his head. "How long has she been gone?"

"She left this afternoon after we confronted her," Maria told him.

"But...that's impossible...I don't even remember what she looks like!" he said in confusion.

"Uh...What?" Michael stared at him.

"The last thing I remember is...being on the roof with Liz..."

Maria and Michael exchanged a startled look. "You don't remember anything after that night?"

"But it was just a little while ago, Michael," Max protested.

"That was a week ago," Maria said softly, her eyebrows furrowed. "Isabel, what's the last thing you remember?"

"I remember Alex and Liz coming over to see if I was doing better...I think it was today. Maybe it was yesterday...I...I can't remember," Isabel whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

"It couldn't have been either one. Liz and Alex left train yesterday morning to go to California," Michael said, sitting down on Isabel's other side.

"California...Why?" Max asked, looking devastated. "Are they all right?"

"They should be fine," he answered, glancing at Maria.

She met his eyes and realized he was trying to communicate with her. She reached over and touched his arm and his thoughts came through loud and clear.

*Don't say anything about the baby!*

Maria nodded slightly.

"Should be?" Max said in alarm.

"They're in California. At Liz's grandmother's vacation house."

"Why?"

"We don't know," Michael answered.

"Do they know that Tess was FBI?" Isabel whispered.

"We just found out today," Maria told her.

"I have to see her..." Max started to get up, but immediately his knees buckled and he fell to the floor.

Michael hurried to help him. "What you have to do is get some sleep, Maxwell. You need to regain your strength."

"But--"

"No, he's right," Maria agreed. "You won't be able to explain anything in the state you're in right now."

Max settled back against his pillows, too tired to argue.

"You need to get some rest, too," Maria said to Isabel.

"I don't want to stay alone," she whispered, trembling.

Maria looked at Michael. "I'll stay," she volunteered.

"Me too," he agreed, pulling out the sleeping bag stuffed in the corner of Max's room.

"I don't think any of us should be alone tonight," Maria whispered.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Liz took a long drink of lemonade after she'd finished her pizza. She sighed. Something hadn't tasted quite right with the food, but Alex hadn't seemed to notice as he scarfed five pieces in a row, watching her carefully the whole time to make sure she ate.

"I'm finished, Dr. Whitman," she announced as she stood up and threw her paper plate away.

"You only ate two pieces."

"That's because I'm not hungry anymore." She washed her hands in the kitchen sink.

Alex studied her for a moment and then put the rest of the pizza in the refridgerator. "You should get some sleep."

Liz turned to face him. "Alex, I'm going to see if there's anything in the basement." She folded her arms across her chest and stared at him. Alex might be stubborn, but so was she. She was Claudia Parker's granddaughter, after all.

"Okay. We've got two hours. Then it's time for bed." Alex stared right back at her.

She couldn't help but crack a smile at the determined look on his face. He smiled back. "You gonna hassle me, Whitman, or are you gonna help me make the most out of those two hours?"

"Let's go search the basement, Parker," he responded with a wide grin as he draped an arm around her shoulders.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alex peered around the semi-dark basement and sighed. They hadn't found anything useful down here, either. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing that you wouldn't find in the normal person's basement. Old toys in one corner, a couple of cartons of paperback and hardback novels in another.

He looked over at Liz, who was going through a box of old clothes. He saw her shiver and he frowned. "Liz, you're cold. We should go upstairs before you get sick," he said firmly.

"Just a minute." She pulled an old sweater out of the box and gazed at it for a moment. Then she stood up and turned to face him, holding it up in front of her. "What do you think?"

Alex looked at the sapphire sweater and nodded. "It's nice."

Liz pulled it on over her t-shirt. "She used to wear this when we'd go hiking in the mountains."

He wasn't sure what to say, so he held out his hand. She took it and they headed for the stairs. "Alex, wait." She let go of him and he watched as she walked over to the cartons of books and started to pry one open.

She leaned against the wall as she tugged on the lid.

Alex started over. "Let me help y--"

Liz shrieked as her feet slipped on the floor and she tumbled backwards, books flying through the air and landing with her in a heap on the concrete.

"Are you all right?" he asked as he knelt down beside her and tossed the books out of the way.

She didn't answer.

Alex took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm. "Liz, are you all right?"

"Alex," she whispered shakily, not looking at him.

"Yeah?" He turned his gaze to see what she was staring at and his eyes widened.

The wall that she'd been leaning against had swung open a few inches.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Liz looked around the tiny room, shining her flashlight into the darkness. She shook her head. "This is what she was trying to tell me," she whispered. "Whatever Tiponi means...the answers that we're looking for...they're in here, Alex." She turned to face him, excitement bubbling within her.

Alex met her eyes and nodded. "Then let's find them."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Diane Evans washed her face, surprised to see how red her eyes were from crying. She shut the water off and stepped out into the hallway, listening. When she didn't hear any noise, she pushed open the door to her son's room.

Max was curled up in bed sound asleep. Michael Guerin was asleep in the sleeping bag next to his bed. She watched them for a moment, noting the peaceful looks on their faces.

She was relieved just seeing Michael there again. For awhile, Max had been so absorbed in being with Tess that she thought her son had forgotten his best friend. Maybe now things would go back to normal again.

Diane pulled the door shut and walked silently across the hall, opening the door to her daughter's room. Isabel was curled into nearly the same sleeping position Max had been. Her cheeks were stained with dried tears.

She moved forward to smooth the hair out of her daughter's face when she realized that Maria DeLuca was asleep on the other side of Isabel's bed. She smiled. Isabel had never had any real friends, and Diane had a good feeling about Maria. That she was trustworthy, and cared about Isabel and Max and, of course, Michael.

Isabel deserved a real friend.

And maybe since Maria was Liz Parker's best friend, Liz might start coming around again. And maybe--just maybe--her son would realize that Liz was who he was meant to be with.

Diane stepped out of the room and went into her bedroom. She crawled into bed, and for the first time in weeks, fell asleep with a smile on her face.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alex flipped through a hard-back book he'd found in an old box, and looked up at Liz, who was going through another box. "Hey, what language do you suppose this is?" he asked, holding it out to her.

She glanced down at it. "I don't know. Grandma Claudia could interpret over 20 different languages."

He frowned as he examined the strange writing, running his fingers over the smooth pages of the book.

"Alex, take a look at this," she said softly. She held up a necklace with a beautiful purple crytal pendant.

"Is that amethyst?"

"I don't think so." She looked closer. "It has the letter 'R' engraved on it."

Alex leaned in to get a better look. "It's got a 'G' on the other side."

She turned it over. "It's beautiful."

"Think she found it on one of her expeditions?" he asked.

"Maybe." She placed the crystal back in the tiny box she'd found it in.

He turned his attention back to the book, trying to make sense of the language. "Maybe if I scan part of this into the computer, I can figure out what--"

"Oh my God!"

He nearly dropped the book at her sudden exclamation. "What?"

Liz lifted something out of the box and held it in both hands.

"Oh my God," he echoed. He raised his eyes to meet hers. It was a familiar looking, smooth black oval-shaped orb with a symbol on it.

Liz and Alex stared at one another for a long moment.

"Liz, how did--? Where did--?" he shook his head, trying to organize his thoughts.

"She knew...she knew something about who they are and where they come from. She must have learned things during her research."

Alex just nodded in amazement.

Liz carefully set the orb down and pulled out another necklace from the box. "It's just like the one Isabel found at Atherton's--only this one's whole."

He watched as she slid the necklace on over her head and tucked it securely inside her shirt. She reached into the box again. This time she had three leather-bound books. "This is it," she whispered suddenly, looking up at him. "These are her journals. This is why she sent me here."

"Let's take them upstairs," he suggested. "It's warmer up there and you'll be able to see to read better." He picked up the orb and she carried the journals up the stairs.

Liz immediatly sat down at the kitchen table. He set the orb down and walked over to the cabinet. "Hot chocolate?"

"No, my stomach's kind of upset," she answered vaguely.

He frowned and poured some of the mix into a mug and ran it under hot water, stirring it with a spoon.

"Damn!"

Alex turned to face Liz, who had stood up and now was staring out the window. "What's wrong?" he asked.

She waved her hand towards the journals on the table.

He walked over and flipped open the one on top of the pile. It was written in the same language as that book he'd found. He glanced through the other two and saw they were written the same way.

Alex bit his lip and glanced back at Liz. He could see she was struggling not to cry.

"So much for helping Max and Isabel," she said bitterly.

He crossed the floor and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Well, maybe your grandmother just encrypted her findings in order to protect whatever information she'd learned from falling into the wrong hands. And maybe she sent you that dream so you would decode the information and you could help them."

It sounded insane, and he knew it. But then again, a few months ago, so did the idea that aliens were really among them and looked exactly liked human beings.

Liz looked at him hopefully. "You think so?"

"I think it's worth checking into."

"Yeah, but, Alex, how am I supposed to know how to decode the encryption? I'm 16!"

"Well, that's why I'm here." He grinned at her. "You're looking at Alex-Techno-Wiz-Whitman, remember?"

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you sure this is safe?" Liz asked nervously as she watched Alex scan a page of one of the journals into her grandmother's iMac.

"Don't worry. I'm just scanning a little to see if Kevin can tell whether or not it's encrypted. And if it's not, maybe he'll recognize what language it is."

"This is going to take forever. Even if it is encrypted, and he can decode what little part you're sending to him, we'll have to do the rest of it ourselves. Or even if it's in another language, we'd have to learn whatever language it is before we could read the journals!" Liz paced th floor of her grandmother's office.

"One step at a time, okay? Let's see what Kevin has to say before we worry about the rest of it." Alex hit the send button and stared at the screen. "Now all we have to do is wait."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kyle was awakened by the sound of a car engine. He rubbed his eyes and pressed the button on his watch that lit up the watch face. It was 1:31 in the morning.

He had a major cramp in his neck from sleeping on his pillow the wrong way.

Check that.

He didn't have a pillow.

He had fallen asleep in his car in front of the Evans' house where he'd followed Michael and Maria to last night.

Kyle groaned and pushed himself into a sitting position and watched as a familiar car drove by.

He frowned.

Why was Tess Harding driving by the Evans' house with no headlights on?

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alex was jerked out of a restless sleep by a voice saying, "You have mail."

He blinked rapidly and sat up straight in the computer desk chair. Then he clicked on the button that said, "Get new mail." He glanced around and realized Liz must have either gone to bed, which he highly doubted, or she was out sitting on the deck in the rain.

He read over the email from Kevin and then re-read it to make sure he was reading it correctly. "Damn," he muttered.

Alex stood up, grabbing one of the journals and carrying it with him as he headed to the deck. Sure enough, she was sitting outside under the awning, watching the steady rain fall.

"Liz?"

She turned to look at him, her eyes hopeful. "Yeah?"

Alex hesitated. "I'm sorry. It...uh...It wasn't encrypted." He took a deep breath. "And Kevin is also a language expert, and he said he's never seen anything like it."

Liz nodded, turning her face away. "Thanks for trying," she said, her voice trembling.

He sat down next to her, flipping through the open book. "You know, maybe these journals are decoys and the real ones are still down there somewhere."

She managed a wry smile. "I don't think so, Alex."

Alex shrugged, looking down at the pages. "Well, you never--" He froze, staring at the writing.

"Alex?"

"Let me see that necklace you found."

Wordlessly, Liz pulled it over her head and handed it to him. Alex set the necklace down on the book and held it out to her.

Liz stared down at it. There, in the middle of one of her grandmother's foreign journal entries, was the same symbol that was on the necklace.

Alex stared at Liz as she rose to her feet, a look of pure shock on her pale face. She held the journal in her hands, looking down between it and the necklace. "It can't be!" she whispered.

"Liz?" Alex stood up and watched as she paced back and forth.

"It can't be true! Alex, this is...this is from Max's home planet..."

He shook his head, not comprehending.

"It can't be true...she couldn't have been...No, I won't believe it!"

"Liz?"

Her voice was angry, and she shook her head furiously. "She was my grandmother! She couldn't be from there...I've been to the hospital before, nothing ever showed up different in the blood work! Ohmygod...that means..." She jerked her head up suddenly, looking ill. "...that means she wasn't really my grandmother..."

"Liz--" he started.

"No! No, this can't be true..." her voice broke in a heartbreaking whimper.

Alex stepped forward. "Liz, it's okay, just calm down," he said gently.

"How could she let me think that...how could she not tell me..." She fumbled for the words as the tears streamed down her cheeks. The journal slid to the wooden deck with a resounding thud as Liz clutched at the necklace and fell to her knees, sobbing in the rain.

Alex kneeled down beside her and gathered her in his arms, rocking her back and forth gently, and stroking her hair as she cried.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was over an hour and a half later that he finally calmed her down enough to get her to lie down in bed. He sat on the floor next to the bed, guitar on his lap as she laid on the side of the bed closest to him, her head leaning against his shoulder.

"Sing me a song," she whispered.

"Okay," he whispered back, kissing her forehead. He strummed his guitar and began to sing.

"No need to be lonely  
No need to cry  
Because you won't see me tonight  
You heard about a perfect world  
You're trying to find  
But maybe not tonight  
And the music falls between  
Where I am  
And where you're wanting me to be..."

Alex closed his eyes and let the music take over.

"...No need to be lonely  
No need to cry  
Because you will be strong tonight  
You know you've faced a hundred guns  
Loaded up  
Just to shoot you down  
But that don't change the fact  
That you're not bullet proof like that  
And every little hit you take  
Reminds you of the plans you made  
But those plans have gone away..."

Alex thought about Isabel, about how he'd imagined this perfect life with her even though he never really thought it was possible. He knew Liz had similar thoughts about Max, and at one time, Maria probably had similar thoughts about Michael...but now, everything was different. Maria and Max and Isabel had turned into complete strangers and any chance that any of them had for a happy life together was pretty much shot.

And Liz. Her entire world basically collapsed around her in one night. Her grandmother had meant everything to her, and now, come to find out that not only was her grandmother not really her grandmother, but she was an alien, as well.

Life was really starting to suck.

"...All my life  
Wait for a sign  
Come inside  
I won't hide..."


	20. Chapter 20

"What does not destroy me, makes me stronger."

-Friedrich Nietzsche

You Were Meant For Me (Part 20)

Alex suppressed a yawn as he waited for Liz to unlock the door to her family's apartment. Her movements were slow and lethargic as she opened the door and carelessly dropped her purse onto the floor just inside the doorway, and her suitcase next to it.

He set his duffel bag and guitar case down next to her stuff and closed the door, worry furrowing his brow.

Liz hadn't slept the night before, and she had flat out refused to eat anything all day today. Her face, which had drained of all color when she made the connection between her grandmother and the alien necklace, had remained colorless since then. She literally looked like death warmed over.

Alex fought a wave of exhaustion as he headed for the refrigerator and swung it open. He rifled through the contents, finally pulling out some lunch meat and cheese, and grabbing the loaf of bread off the counter. He quickly made two sandwiches, and carried them over to the couch where Liz had dropped down and was now staring at the wall.

He tried to hand one to her, but she shook her head. "Liz, you need to eat."

"Not hungry."

"You need to eat anyway." Alex sat down next to her and held the plate out.

"I don't want it."

"I don't care. You need to eat. You're going to make yourself sick." He held it out insistently. "Please," he added quietly.

Liz finally looked at him, her normally expressive brown eyes looking dull. Then she took the plate from him. After staring at it for a moment she took a bite of the sandwich and frowned. "It tastes funny."

Alex took a bite of his sandwich and chewed thoughtfully. "Mine tastes okay."

She sighed and set the plate on the coffee table. "Thanks."

The telephone rang. When Liz made no move to pick it up, Alex rose to his feet and picked up the receiver. "Parker residence."

"Alex?"

"Yeah...And this is...?" He waited.

"It's Michael. We need to talk."

Alex frowned and glanced over his shoulder to Liz, who hadn't moved. "About--?"

"Not over the phone. Are Liz's parents home?"

"No," he said slowly.

"Can we come over?"

"Um, I don't think that's such a good idea right now."

"It's important."

Alex hesitated, looking back at Liz again. "It can't wait for awhile?"

"Not really."

"All right," he said with a sigh. "I assume this means all of you, right?"

"Yeah."

"Don't bring Tess," Alex said, a touch of warning in his voice.

"We won't."

Alex hung up the phone and moved back over to the sofa. "Liz?"

"Hmmm?"

"Michael and...the others are on their way over. He said it was important." He watched her carefully to try and gauge her reaction, but to his surprise, she didn't have one. "Liz? Did you hear me?"

"Yes."

He decided to try a different tactic. "Liz, whether or not she was your real grandmother doesn't matter...she loved you. You loved her."

Liz finally met his eyes, her eyes tearing up again. "I know."

"What are you going to do?"

She shook her head. "I have no idea...I don't even know where to start. I mean, if she was an...an alien, then that means one of two things. One is that--my dad was adopted. The second one is maybe I was...adopted." Liz put her face in her hands.

Alex shifted closer to her on the couch, putting one arm around her shoulders. "We'll figure it out, Lizzie," he said quietly.

When she took her hands away and looked at him, tears were on her cheeks again, but a small smile played on her lips. "You haven't called me that since we were in sixth grade, Alex."

He smiled back. "What can I say? I tried to sound grown up, but we both know that's not true. I admit it...I want to be a 'Toys R Us' kid."

Liz laughed and then laid her head on his shoulder. "Thanks." There was a long moment of silence. Then, "Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"What if...if I was adopted? I mean...my real parents...how would I find them?"

"If you were adopted, and what you want is to find your real parents...I'll help you track down the adoption records. We'll find a way." He kissed her forehead. "It'll be okay."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maria waited outside the Parker's apartment door anxiously beside Michael. Max and Isabel were right behind them. A moment later, the door opened and Alex appeared, looking very tired. He looked at Michael, and then her with a wary eye. "Come in."

Maria didn't hesitate. She walked inside the familiar apartment and spotted Liz on the sofa, curled up in a somewhat defensive posture. She sat down across from her in one of the Parker's Lazy Boys. "Hi," she said softly.

Liz's gaze flickered to her face and Maria was startled by the haunted look in her eyes. "Hey."

Never had she been afraid to talk to Liz before. But now butterflies were flying in her stomach like crazy and she shifted in her seat uncomfortably. She watched as Michael moved to stand beside her chair, and Alex returned to his place on the couch next to Liz. Isabel and Max both lingered nervously by the door.

"What's going on?" Alex asked, rubbing his forehead as though he was trying to get rid of a headache.

Maria glanced up at Michael, who was looking down at her. "We have some news," she said finally.

Alex looked at her expectantly.

"Um...Where do I start?" she wondered aloud, closing her eyes briefly.

"The beginning would be nice. And keep in mind some of us haven't slept in awhile, so anytime you want to start would be just fine."

Maria looked at Alex, stunned by the coldness of his voice.

"You don't need to be defensive, Alex," Michael said quietly, staring at him.

"Let me," Isabel said softly, stepping forward. She moved across the room and tentatively sat down next to Alex on the sofa. "Tess is an FBI agent."

Alex gaped at her, and even Liz turned to look at her, shock on her face.

"She was brainwashing Max and me to try and find out who we really are."

"Oh, my God. Did you--?"

"No, at least...I don't think so," she said hesitantly. "We don't remember much from the past few weeks."

Alex blinked and shook his head. Then he moved his gaze to Maria. He stared at her. "Wait a minute...you were just trying to get proof, weren't you?"

She nodded her head slowly. "Michael and I started to suspect her awhile ago. So we came up with this plan. I would get close to her and try to find out as much about her as I could."

"It was actually Sheriff Valenti who got the proof," Michael admitted.

"Sheriff Valenti?" Alex repeated.

"He, uh...broke into her apartment and dusted for fingerprints. Then he ran them through the national FBI database and matched them to one Special Investigator for the FBI. He warned us that Max was danger," Maria added.

"And where...is she now?" Liz spoke up, her voice quiet.

"She left town after Michael and I confronted her."

There was a long moment of dead silence.

Maria watched as Alex looked over at Liz, and Liz shook her head at him slightly.

"Liz," Max whispered. "Can we talk for a few minutes...alone?"

She looked up at him, met his eyes for a brief moment, and then nodded. She stood up and headed down the hallway, Max following her.

Maria bit her lip as she glanced over at Alex. He stood up and walked over to where she was sitting. He smiled at her and then held his arms open.

Maria rose to her feet and threw herself into his arms, her eyes filling with tears as she buried her face in his shoulder. She had missed him so much.

Alex squeezed her tightly and whispered in her ear. "I'm glad we didn't lose you to the dark side." She supressed a laugh and smiled broader as he kissed her forehead. Then he pulled away from her and nodded his head at Michael before turning to face Isabel.

Maria was surprised to see how nervous Isabel appeared as she sat on the sofa, watching every move Alex made. When he held his arms open to her, Isabel's own eyes filled with tears and she rushed into his embrace.

Now all they had to do was wait for Liz's reaction.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Max closed Liz's bedroom door behind them and waited as Liz sat down on her bed. She stared down at the floor, her face pale. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

She didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry, Liz," he repeated, moving to sit down next to her. "I can't even tell you how sorry I am...I don't...I don't even remember hardly anything about what's happened since she came here." He paused, looking over at her. "The last thing I remember...is being with you...out on your roof that night."

Liz looked at him, her eyes clouded with tears. She stood up and moved away from him. "Max, I'm not ready to...deal with this right now."

He hung his head and stared at the floor. "I can't even imagine how hard this has been for you."

"No, you can't," she said softly, brushing a tear away.

Max closed his eyes. "I never wanted to hurt you. You have to know that. I just...wasn't in control of what was happening. The last thing I would ever want to do is cause you pain, Liz," he whispered.

"I know that, Max. In my heart I know that," Liz whispered back. "But I need some...I need some time right now...to think."

"I won't rush you," he promised. He stood up and moved to the door. "I just want you to know that..."

"I know," she said. She turned to face him and their eyes met. Then she followed him out the door as they walked back to the living room where the others were.

Max met Michael's eyes and nodded. Then he looked at Isabel. "We should go home now. Mom's probably worried," he said.

Isabel stood up and hugged Alex again. Then she moved across the room to where Liz was lingering in the hallway, and she hugged her. Liz was taken aback, and met Alex's eyes. He gave her a small smile and then she hugged Isabel back.

"Thank you," Isabel whispered, pulling away to look at her. "For helping me the other day at school. For keeping her away from me."

Liz nodded, managing to give her a smile. "You're welcome."

Isabel walked away from her, and followed Max out the front door. Michael lingered for a moment, looking at Maria.

"I'll see you later," Maria said to him.

He nodded and followed Max and Isabel, closing the door behind him.

Maria sat still for a moment, unsure of what to say.

Alex stood up and yawned. "You know, I could use some fresh air. Mind if I step out on your roof for a bit?" he asked Liz.

She shook her head and watched as Alex headed towards her room, shutting the door behind him.

Liz remained standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall. She looked across the room to Maria, biting her lip.

Maria met her eyes and rose to her feet. "I'm sorry."

"Why didn't you tell me that you and Michael suspected her?" Liz asked softly.

"Because I knew if I told you that we thought she was brainwashing Max and Isabel, you would want to be part of it...and it was too dangerous. I didn't want you and Alex involved. I didn't want you to get hurt," Maria said honestly.

"I thought you hated me," she whispered, wiping away her tears.

Maria's own eyes filled with tears. "I could never hate you, Lizzie. You're my best friend in the world."

At her words, Liz started to cry, and at the sight of Liz crying, Maria started to cry as well. Maria stumbled towards her and held her arms out as Liz walked into them, hugging her tightly. A moment later, another pair of arms came around them both, and Maria looked up into Alex's warm eyes. Then she slid one arm around his waist and hugged him, as well. "I love you guys," Maria choked out, pressing her face into Liz's shoulder as she cried.

"I love you, too," Liz and Alex said at the same time.

The Three Musketeers were back together again.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Call when you get home and let us know you made it," Alex told Maria as he escorted her to the Parker's front door a couple hours later, after the three of them had had one of their famous ice cream talks.

"I will," she promised. She smiled at him and he smiled back and then kissed her forehead. "See you later."

"Bye." Alex watched as she headed down the stairs. Then he closed the door, locked it, and turned back to Liz, who was curled up on the couch again. She looked a little better than she had a few hours ago. Her face had regained a bit of its color and her eyes didn't look as lifeless as they had.

He wasn't sure about her, but he felt about 100% better, knowing that Maria was still his friend, and that Isabel and Max were back to normal. Or, at least halfway. He had seen the haunted look in Isabel's eyes and it tore at his heart. He wanted to kill Tess for doing that to her...for doing it to all of them. He hoped that they could all find their way back to one another.

At least Tess was gone, and the FBI was out of Roswell again.

For now.

Maybe if the six of them could really pull together this time, something like this wouldn't happen again.

"Liz?"

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you say anything to Maria about your grandmother?" he asked softly. "I mean...I understand why you didn't bring it up to the Czechoslovakians yet, but..."

"I'm just not ready to deal with it right now, Alex. Not until I talk to my parents, and find out whether or not they're really my parents. I need some answers first. Is that wrong?" she asked, biting her lip and looking up at him.

Alex wished she had told Maria, but he shook his head in understanding. "No. It's not wrong."

"I wanted to tell her, but..."

"I know."

They stared at the picture of Claudia Parker on the wall in front of them as silence fell between them.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael stared out at the lake below Buckley Point and sighed. He sat on the hood of his car, leaning his head back against the wind shield. What a mess things were. He wasn't sure what had happened between Liz and Max, but Max had been very silent on the way back to the Evans'.

Isabel had sat up front in the passenger seat next to him. In all the years he'd known her, never once had he seen her so vulnerable. It was just...scary.

He thought about Alex and Liz's reactions to finding out that Tess was FBI. He was glad that Alex and Maria had made up. He just hoped Liz and Maria would, too.

Michael looked up at the sky, surprised when the sunlight was suddenly blotted out by a dark cloud. A slight breeze rustled over the cliff and he shivered, feeling the chill all the way to his bones.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ring, ring!

"I got it this time," Liz said, giving Alex a slight smile as she rose to her feet and picked up the telephone receiver. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me. I made it home safely," Maria told her.

"Good to hear...is your mom home?"

"No, not yet. She should be home soon, then." There was a pause. "Oh, wait. I heard the door open, I think she just walked in. Hold on a sec, okay?"

"Yeah, sure." Liz turned to face Alex, who was flipping through the television channels with the remote. She smiled when she saw that he stopped it on the Cartoon Network because Scooby Doo was on. She heard some noises over the line. "Maria?"

She heard the sound of breaking glass and then a short scream.

"Maria!" Liz said into the phone, her voice rising in panic. She looked back at Alex, who was on his feet and at her side an instant later.

"Liz Parker, I assume?" a voice said.

Liz's heart thudded in her chest. "Who is this?"

"Who do you think?"

"Tess," Liz whispered.

"Very good. Now here's the deal, Ms. Parker. Meet me at the cave on the Mescalero Reservation in one hour or you'll never see Ms. DeLuca alive again." The line went dead.

The phone slid out of her hand and landed on the floor with a resounding thud.

"Liz?" Alex reached out and slid an arm around her waist as she swayed on her feet.

"Tess has Maria..." She met his eyes.

"Oh, my God," he said, his voice barely audible.

"She said...if I don't meet her in the cave..." Liz pulled away from Alex, suddenly gaining a surge of energy from her anger and hatred for Tess. She hurried to the door, slipping her feet into her shoes and grabbing her car keys. Then she threw her arms around Alex and hugged him. "Go stay with Max and Isabel. You'll be safe there."

He removed her arms from around his neck. "If you think I'm letting you go to that cave alone, you've got another thing coming."

"It's too dangerous, Alex."

"I'm going with you. Deal with it," he said, glaring at her.

Liz took a deep breath. "Then let's go before it's too late."


	21. Chapter 21

"Things are getting worse, but I feel a lot better..."

-Counting Crows

You Were Meant For Me (Part 21)

"If I could make it rain today..."

Max was staring up at his ceiling, his thoughts swirling in his mind. Swirling with thoughts of Liz and of all that had happened in the past few weeks. He was trying to put together the puzzle, but he felt like he could only see half the pieces. The other half was too fuzzy to see what pieces went where.

"...And wash away this sunny day  
Down to the gutter..."

This was his song...the theme song of his miserable life. The one he listened to every time things got like this. When everything stopped making sense, he always came back to this song.

"...I would  
Just to get a change of pace..."

"Max?" Isabel's voice interrupted his thoughts.

He looked up to see her standing in the doorway, hesitating. It was weird to see her hesitate coming into his room. A while ago she used to just march in without knocking or asking permission. It was just how she was. Now...he didn't like how frail and tired she looked. "Come on in, Izzy."

Isabel stepped into the room and sat down in his desk chair, rather than the edge of his bed.

"...Things are getting worse  
But I feel a lot better..."

"Max, did you...notice anything...strange about Liz today?" she asked tentatively, staring at his bedspread.

Max sat up in bed and looked at her. "She was upset, yeah."

"No, not that..." Isabel shook her head and waved her hand in the air. "I mean...different."

"No," Max said slowly. "Why?"

"Because when I hugged her...I felt this...weird vibe," she said vaguely.

"What kind of weird vibe?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

"This is going to sound crazy, but...I felt this presence--like the feeling I get when I hug you or Michael."

Max stared at her. "You must have been mistaken. I'm sure you just picked up on how upset she was or something."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Isabel said, biting her lip.

"...There has to be a change I'm sure  
Today was just a day fading into another  
And that can't be what a life is for..."

The telephone rang a second later, and Max quickly scooped up the receiver and pressed it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hello, Sweetie."

Max froze, and Isabel sat forward in his desk chair. "What do you want?"

"I have something you might want...or rather, someone. And if you want her back, I'd suggest you meet me at the cave on the Mescalero Reservation in one hour...or things might not turn out so well for your beloved Liz."

"Don't hurt her, Tess," Max warned her fiercely.

"Then you better be here in one hour."

The line went dead.

Max leapt to his feet, and ran to the door. "She has Liz!"

Isabel jumped to her feet and followed him.

"...Things are getting worse  
But I feel a lot better..."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael was thinking about Max and Liz, and how in a few months, they'd be having a child together. Somehow he just couldn't imagine himself ever being a father...though he could easily imagine Maria being a mother. The thought startled him, but before he had time to debate it further, a weird sensation washed over him.

*Michael!*

He blinked and sat up. He could have sworn he'd just heard Maria's voice. He looked around but didn't see anyone.

*I need your help! Michael!*

It was definitely Maria's voice he was hearing, but she wasn't there.

Fear gripped him.

She was in trouble.

She needed him.

How was he supposed to find her?

*Michael, please!*

He closed his eyes and forced himself to concentrate. *Maria! Where are you?*

*The cave...*

*I'm on my way!* he thought, hoping she'd heard the message. He rolled off the hood of his car, and slid inside the driver's side, starting the engine before he'd even gotten the door shut. Michael threw the car into reverse and did a doughnut in the middle of the road. He was so caught up in his actions that he didn't notice that he was being followed.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maria struggled against the ropes binding her hands behind her back, but the more she moved, the more the cords sliced into her skin, burning it and bringing tears to her eyes. That combined with the killer headache she had from Tess slamming the barrel of the gun into her head was starting to make her nauseous.

She watched as Tess paced around the cave, the gun in her hand. Every now and then Tess would throw a glare her way, but so far she hadn't spoken to her.

If she could just get the damn knot undone.

Yeah, then what, genius? Gonna throw yourself at the psychopathic FBI agent with a gun? Brilliant, really.

She wondered if Michael had heard her. God, she hoped so. She hoped that he'd heard her and that he got there before Liz did. What if this insane woman hurt Liz and her baby? Maria would never be able to forgive herself.

"This is all your fault, you know," Tess said suddenly, turning to glare at her. "You had to stick your nose in where it didn't belong and screw everything up!"

Maria kept still, watching Tess with careful eyes.

"Do you know how long I've been waiting for this day to come?" she demanded, waving the gun around. "It feels like forever! This is my big break!" She turned her back to Maria, who promptly went back to trying to get herself loose from the ropes, but kept her eyes on Tess the whole time.

"Everything in my life...everything I've done, everything I've worked for...it all comes down to this one day...to this one moment!" Tess ranted. She spun around to look at Maria again. "Be glad that you'll be one of the ones to witness it!"

"What are you planning to do?" Maria ventured tentatively.

"Oh, now that would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it? But just a hint...you won't like the outcome. None of you will!"

"Are you going to kill me?"

Tess smiled. "Why would I kill you? You're nothing to me...completely insignificant. But if I have to make an example or prove a point, you are expendable. The task at hand is much more important than your pitiful, pathetic life."

"Why are you doing this? What do you want from us?" Maria demanded, her fear turning into anger.

"I told you. I don't want anything from you. You're the bait."

"This is just...a game to you," Maria said, shaking her head and feeling even more sick to her stomach.

"All of life is but a game. Oh, poor Maria," Tess said, sighing. "First you lie to your friends to learn my secret, but it only ends up costing you their lives. What bad luck you are." She clucked her tongue.

"You're psychotic," she whispered.

Tess smiled widely. "And the pot calls the kettle black. Interesting how this works. You see, I'm not the one befriending someone of a different species...let alone falling in love with one of them."

Maria's breath caught in her throat.

Oh god.

She knows.

"Guess your weakness was also your downfall. But don't worry. I'll be sure to kill Michael quickly. As long as he doesn't put up much of a fight."

"What are you talking about? A different species?" Maria said, shaking her head in feigned disbelief.

"How stupid do you think I am?" Tess moved closer to her. "I know everything about you...about all of you! I was sent here because I am the best at what I do! Don't try and lie your way out of something when I already know the truth. That always pisses me off!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

Tess slapped Maria across the face so hard she fell back against the wall of the cave. "I know the little games you've been playing. You and Michael. Thought you'd pretend to have a fight so you could get close to me and Michael could keep Liz and Alex out of the way. It was clever, I'll give you that, but I'm smarter than you'll ever be. I've watched you the past week...I've seen every move the two of you have made. Trying to find out who I was so you could scare me into leaving town. It didn't happen. I don't get scared."

Maria stared at her, trying to control her trembling.

Tess smiled again and turned towards the mouth of the cave. "And any minute now it's going to begin. I've been waiting for this for a long time. And nothing is going to stop me from getting what I want."


	22. Chapter 22

"And there will be such intense darkness, that one can feel it."

-Exodus 10:21

You Were Meant For Me (Part 22)

She was insane.

There was no way around it. FBI agent or not...the woman was nuts.

Maria watched as Tess paced the floor of the cave, waving the gun around as she ranted and raved. Maria pressed her back up against the wall of the cave, trying to suppress the tremors pulsing through her body.

Show no fear...isn't that what they always said?

There had to be someway to stop Tess...someway to detour her from hurting Michael and the others. Maria jerked against the knot in the rope. What she wouldn't give to have alien powers at this moment.

"You think you can escape?"

She looked up and saw Tess's smug face glaring down at her.

"I assure you that I am very well trained, Maria. There is no escape and the more you pull against those ropes, the more painfully they dig into your skin. You might as well sit back, relax, and get ready for the fun to start."

Maria looked her in the eyes and felt more hatred for her than she'd ever felt for anyone in her life. "You might kill me and my friends, but you're the one who's going to burn in hell for eternity, Tess," she spat.

Tess's eyes darkened. "You don't know what hell is."

Maria suddenly had a flash from Michael's dream...a vision of the little girl spinning around, her dark hair flying behind her. She remembered as the child turned to look at her, the pleading that had been in her eyes. Pleading for help...for Maria and Michael to help her.

Then she heard footsteps approaching the cave and she held her breath as a feeling of dread filled her entirely.

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Liz felt Alex tense next to her as they got closer to the mouth of the cave. She didn't have to wonder why.

This after all, was the very same cave that Michael had nearly died in, and now...

Now Tess had Maria as a hostage in the same place.

And they were about to walk right into her trap.

Liz stopped suddenly, her head starting to pound until it matched the beating of her heart. She closed her eyes and saw the dancing lights in front of her. She felt Alex's arm slide around her waist and she leaned against him for a moment. When she opened her eyes, she looked up at him and saw he was watching her in great concern.

Wordlessly, she pulled away from him and moved towards the cave again.

She felt Alex grab her arm but she propelled herself forward.

She had to get to Maria.

Nothing else mattered.

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Isabel leaned against an old oak tree, trying to catch her breath.

Max had run ahead of her, somehow gaining strength from his fear of what Tess would do to Liz.

Her own fear had stopped her from continuing.

She didn't want to see Tess again. The thought sent waves of terror through her heart.

Isabel was not someone to normally be afraid of anyone, ever. But she was now aware that Tess had some kind of power over her. Tess had brainwashed Isabel into becoming a mindless puppet in her cruel play. She'd ripped her sense of security away, and nearly wrecked her friendship with Alex and the one that she'd just started with Liz...and she nearly lost her other brother because of her as well.

Isabel couldn't remember much about the past few weeks, other than feeling very lost and confused and afraid.

But there was one memory that stuck in her mind.

Liz, kneeling beside her as she sat curled up in the corner of the girl's restroom at school.

"Isabel, what is it? What's wrong? Please tell me."

"I don't know--I can't fix it. Liz, I'm really scared!"

She remembered that Liz had helped her...had called her mother and then stood up to Tess when Isabel was too weak to do it herself. Liz hadn't let Tess get to her...

The memory gave her the strength to push herself away from the tree.

Liz helped me, she thought. It's time to return the favor.

Isabel ran forward, towards the cave.

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Liz didn't hesitate at the cave entrance.

She saw Tess standing in the middle of the cave, faced away from her, and saw Maria, tied up and leaning against the wall of the cave. Dried blood matted her blond hair to the side of her face and Liz could see what was going to be a pretty nasty bruise already forming on her left temple. She met Maria's eyes for only a second.

"Glad you could make it," Tess said as she turned around to face her, pointing the gun at her.

Liz stood up straight, her eyes fixed on Tess's. "I didn't have a choice."

"There are always choices, Ms. Parker."

"Not when it comes to your friends and family," she answered coolly. "What do you want, Tess?"

Tess smiled. "I hope you're not in a hurry. I've got plans for us. The other guests aren't here yet. " She looked past Liz. "Though, I see your loyal sidekick is here."

Liz didn't have to turn around to know that it was Alex. He moved so he was standing right next to her. Her gaze flickered to Maria, whose eyes were wide and she looked like she was trying to warn her about something.

"Why don't you just let Maria and Liz go? I'll be your hostage," Alex said calmly, taking a step forward.

Tess trained the gun on him and smiled. "So protective of your friends. That's nice. Stupid...but nice. Unfortunately, Alex, you're not of any use to me, either."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you're expendable, just like Maria here." She waved the gun in Maria's direction. "Whether you live or die means nothing to me...you're not why I'm here."

"Why are you here?" Liz demanded, her eyes cold.

"Why do you think?" Tess retorted, aiming the gun at Liz again.

Liz glanced at Maria, who nodded slightly.

Tess was here to kill Max, Michael and Isabel.

Rage flooded through her veins. She started to move towards Tess, but Alex grabbed her arm, and this time he held onto her tightly. She looked over at him and he shook his head.

"Let them go!"

Liz and Alex both turned to see Max standing in the cave entrance, Isabel right behind him, looking both fearful and angry.

"Ah, and two more of the guests arrive. Please, do come in. Keep where I can see you," she said, motioning them over to where Liz and Alex were standing.

"Let them go," Max said again, stepping forward, and positioning himself in front of Liz.

Liz grabbed his arm. "Max," she whispered frantically, pulling him back.

He didn't look at her. His gaze rested on the gun in Tess's hand. The one that was aimed at his chest.

Tess's eyes narrowed and then she smiled at him. "What this?" She held the gun up in one hand and then tossed it over her shoulder. "Don't bother, Max. Haven't you figured it out yet? I'm not from around here, either."

Liz's eyes widened and she didn't have a chance to react.

Tess held her hands out in front of her, creating a beam of blazing red light that hit the four of them instantly.

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Michael raced through the woods.

Not much further.

Maria was nearby, he could feel her.

And something else...something dark and frightening, becoming stronger in force as he approached.

"Hold on, Maria," he whispered.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kyle shook his head. "Where the hell did he go?" he wondered aloud, looking around the woods. He hadn't been that far behind Guerin when he'd disappeared. He stopped and listened closely. He heard the snapping of twigs up ahead somewhere.

And that's when he heard the scream.

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Alex was dimly aware that Maria was screaming, but he couldn't turn his head to look at her. He couldn't move period.

All he could see was Tess in front of them, and he knew that Liz was standing on one side of him, and Isabel on the other.

He glared at her with cold eyes.

Tess just smiled.

"Why...are you doing this?" Liz choked out.

"I was sent here to stop the prophecy from being completed," she answered, moving until she was standing directly in front of Max. "Were you aware that Liz here was carrying your child?"

Alex felt the breath being sucked out of his lungs and he heard Isabel gasp beside him.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Liz said, anger edging into her voice.

"How unfortunate for you...weren't even aware that you were pregnant. Poor, stupid human." Tess glared at her. "Let me explain before I destroy you all. You see, a child was to be born of a human mother and a Numahs father. This child was to have the power to end the wars among our people, leaving my tribe with destruction and devastation."

She moved back until she was standing in front of Max again. "The child was called Tiponi in the prophecy. I was sent here to make sure that she never saw the light of day."

Alex struggled, closing his eyes and trying his hardest to move against the red light that was suspending them all in mid-air. If he could just get free and get to the gun...

"Hey!"

His eyes flew open as he heard Michael's voice from somewhere nearby.

"Michael!" Maria screamed.

"And the other part of the prophecy arrives," Tess said, turning away from them.

The light disappeared suddenly and Alex hit the ground with a thud and he groaned in pain and tried to force himself to sit up. He found he was still unable to move.

"Welcome to the party, Michael," Tess whispered.


	23. Chapter 23

"...more light and light, more dark and dark our woes..."

-Romeo and Juliet

You Were Meant For Me (Part 23)

Kyle stopped running. He put his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. He heard the scream again.

It sounded like...Maria DeLuca.

Suddenly, he saw a pair of feet in front of him and he stood up quickly, his eyes locking on the most beautiful brown eyes he'd ever seen. "Hurry, we haven't much time," the girl said as she turned and ran.

He stared after her for a moment. Then he followed her, through the woods, over fallen trees and dead branches. She stayed in his line of vision just long enough to for him to realize that they were headed towards some kind of cave.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael stared at Tess as she approached him, smiling. She held one hand out to him. "I have all of your answers, Michael...to all of the questions you've ever had about yourself, and where you come from."

"But...how is that possible?" he asked in disbelief, shaking his head.

"Because I am from the same place you are from." She reached her hand out to him. "All you have to do is take my hand."

"No, Michael, don't!" Maria cried from the other side of the cave.

His gaze traveled to her, and he saw terror in her eyes. He looked at Max, Isabel, Liz and Alex, who were all sprawled out on the floor of the cave, unable to move.

"You know you want answers." Tess's voice became a bit harsh.

"No," he said, meeting her eyes. "Not like this."

"I'm sorry you feel that way." She took another stepped towards him, grabbing him by the arm. A jolt of pain shot through his body and he felt memories being ripped from his mind.

Visions of his younger self playing in the sandbox with Max...throwing M&M's at Maria in the fifth grade...Isabel comforting him after a nightmare...kissing Maria in the eraser room...Diane Evans hugging him when he had brought her a rose on mother's day one year...sleeping in Maria's bed the night he'd left Hank's...Alex shaking his hand on the dream plane when he'd been sick...returning Liz's journal to her at the Crashdown...a flash of the child that Max and Liz were going to have, her eyes pleading for him to protect her...

"You're a traitor, Michael," Tess growled at him. "All these memories you have of humans...the feelings you have for them!"

He struggled to keep standing and he finally managed to reach out and grab her arm with his other hand.

He saw a flash of green clouds...a beautiful landscape of mountains and sparkling rivers...people fighting and dying in the same landscape...stars and the sun flying by...approaching earth...a terrified scream from somewhere within the ship as it spiraled out of control...Tess smiling as she woke up amongst the wreckage and found the others dead...Atherton dead with a silver handprint on his chest...a woman dead with another print...himself with Maria at her house a few nights ago...Liz and Alex on Liz's roof as she cried...

Tess increased her grip on his arm and he grimaced as the pain increased in his body.

He had to focus. He had to use his powers. He felt a ball of energy forming within him and he didn't wait for it to build before he let it flow out of his hands.

Tess jerked backwards but didn't let go of him. "Nice try, Michael, but your powers are far weaker than mine." She sent a wave of energy jolting through him and he felt himself losing his hold on her arm.

Michael forced himself to begin gathering energy again, trying to let it build before releasing it this time. Tess hit him with another shockwave and he closed his eyes against the increasing pain...

It was so hot...

His blood felt like it was boiling...

He didn't know how much more he could take.

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Maria watched in horror as Michael's eyes closed. "No!" she screamed.

She felt the tears on her cheeks but she ignored them as she yanked her hands against the ropes again. She felt them give a bit and she struggled harder, biting her lip against the pain in her hands. She pulled harder, rolling onto her stomach.

She saw the gun laying just a few feet away from her.

If she could get her hands free...

Maria looked up at Michael again, and saw how hard he was fighting to remain standing.

Tess was draining him of his energy, and she didn't appear to be the least bit affected by what feeble efforts he was making to stop her.

"Oh, god, please," she whispered.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Max took a deep breath, using his powers to free himself from whatever methods of paralysis Tess had used against them.

He saw Michael and Tess, holding onto one another's arms, both in deep concentration, engaged in some kind of battle of power. Then he turned to see Liz, Isabel and Alex all still unable to move, and he closed his eyes and focused. A second later he saw they were moving again. "Alex, get them out of here!" he said and Alex nodded.

Max stood up and edged towards Michael and Tess...maybe his powers combined with Michael's could stop her. He no sooner took two steps closer than Tess released her grip on Michael and he fell to the ground. He heard Maria scream and a second later he was hit by a blinding red light again, only this time it didn't paralyze him.

His back hit the wall of the cave and he felt his head crack from the force of the blow. He was only dimly aware when he slid to the floor and saw Tess standing over him, smirking before he was hit with another blast of her powers.

Then there was only darkness.


	24. Chapter 24

"It was all happening in a great, swooping free-fall, irreversible, free of decision, in the full pull of gravity toward whatever was to be..."

-Laura Z. Hobson

You Were Meant For Me (Part 24)

Liz felt her heart stop as she watched Max fall to the ground. "No!" she screamed. She was dimly aware that Isabel and Maria were screaming, too, but they sounded too distant as she rushed to Max's side. "Max!"

She touched his face. He wasn't breathing. "No! No!" she screamed, tears staining her cheeks as she threw herself on top of him. "Max! Please!"

Tess watched with a smile on her face.

"You can't leave me, Max! Please!" She pressed her ear against his chest, but there was no heartbeat.

Max was dead.

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Alex fumbled with the ropes binding Maria's hands and finally was able to free her. She dove for the gun that lay just a foot away. She picked it up and aimed it directly at Tess. "You bitch!" she growled.

Tess turned to face them, still smiling.

Alex flinched and looked away as Maria pulled the trigger once, twice...

When he looked back, Tess had four holes in her chest, but she continued to smile. She looked down and closed her eyes. A moment later all four bullet wounds had healed. Then she stared directly at Maria, and moved her hand outward, a beam of light starting their way.

"Not again," he muttered. He tackled Maria to the ground as the beam hit the cave wall, crumbling it into ash. "Holy shit."

He saw Isabel rush to them, and kneel down next to him. "Ohmygod! Alex! Maria! Are you all right?"

"Michael," Maria cried, pushing against Alex as she rose to her feet.

Isabel whirled around and watched as Michael groaned and opened his eyes.

"Now it's time to finish what I started," Tess said, turning her attention to Michael again. He was staring up at her, unable to do anything to stop her from killing him.

Isabel screamed and started towards them, but Alex grabbed her arm, stopping her. "I have to help him!" she cried, trying to pull away.

Alex shook his head and then nodded towards Liz. Her head was resting upon Max's still chest, her hands pressed to his face.

Her hands that were...glowing.

"Oh my god," Maria whispered, staring at her best friend.

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Kyle watched from the entrance of the cave, his face frozen in shock and horror. From all appearances, Max Evans was dead, Michael Guerin wasn't far from it, and Tess Harding had just emitted a beam of red light that destroyed part of the cave...and now...now Liz was glowing...radiating with a brilliant white light that started from her hands but was slowly surrounding her entire body.

"Holy fuck," he whispered, unable to take his eyes from her.

He watched as she rose slowly to her feet and turned to face Tess, who was staring at her. Tess emitted another beam of red light and aimed it at Liz. The bolt hit the white light and disappeared, but Liz remained standing.

Then another bolt of light blazed through the air--this time it was white and it was emitting from Liz's hands and it sent Tess flying across the cave and hitting the wall with such an impact that it began to crumble around her.

He blinked, completely unsure of what to do or how to handle what he just saw.

Then the light surrounding Liz disappeared, and she, too, fell to the ground.


	25. Chapter 25

"There is nothing so powerful as truth--and often nothing so strange."

-Daniel Webster

You Were Meant For Me (Part 25: The Conclusion)

"Liz!" Alex let go of Maria and Isabel and raced to where she'd fallen. He pressed two fingers to her throat. "Oh, god! There's no pulse!"

A second later someone else was kneeling beside her. He looked up and into the eyes of Kyle Valenti. "I know CPR, move!" he commanded.

Alex instantly backed off and watched helplessly as Kyle began CPR on Liz.

"Michael!" Maria dropped to her knees next to him. He was struggling to sit up, but was too weak. Tears ran down her cheeks as she threw her arms around his chest, pressing her face into his stomach, sobbing.

"Max, Max!" Isabel was crying. She placed her hands on his chest and closed her eyes. "Oh, god! I can't get in! I can't form the connection!"

Alex moved to her side and grabbed her hand and she looked him in the eyes. They both suddenly had the same idea.

"Maria! Give me your hand!" Isabel reached out and grabbed the girl's hand, ignoring the hair that was falling in her face. She held onto Alex's other hand tightly and closed her eyes, concentrating. "It's not enough...we need more energy."

Alex looked back at Kyle who was now staring at them as he did chest compressions on Liz. He reached out and wordlessly Kyle took his hand, and some girl that was standing behind Kyle took Kyle's other hand. Then he squeezed his eyes shut, focusing his mind on Max and Liz like he had on Michael a few months ago.

When he opened his eyes, both Max and Liz's bodies were glowing with white light and he watched in amazement as Max sat up slowly, coughing.

"Max!" Isabel cried, jerking away from Alex's hand. She threw her arms around her brother's neck and hugged him tightly.

Alex moved to Liz's side again, relieved to find a pulse there, as well. But she still wasn't awake.

An unconscious best friend was better than a dead one.

Unconscious meant she was alive.

He closed his eyes, said a silent thanks to whatever god was listening and brushed a strand of hair out of his friend's face.

"Liz," Max whispered, pulling out of Isabel's embrace. He quickly knelt beside her and placed his hands on her face.

Alex felt Isabel, Maria and Michael gathered around her, waiting for her to regain consciousness.

"Liz," Max said again, his voice growing a bit more desperate. He looked back to them, his eyes full of fear. "She won't wake up!"

Isabel moved forward and placed her hands on Liz's stomach. Michael touched her arm and together the three of them focused what little energy they had left to try and bring Liz out of her unconscious state.

Isabel jerked away suddenly, her face growing pale. "Ohmygod!"

"What is it?" Maria cried, on the verge of panicking.

"Liz isn't...she's not..." Isabel shook her head, unable to say it.

"What?" Michael said gently, reaching out to touch her arm.

"She's not pregnant!"

Alex inhaled sharply, turning his gaze back to his unconscious best friend. It suddenly all fell into place. Her grandmother and the way she was able to heal him when he'd been stabbed...it all made perfect sense.

"Oh my god, Michael," Maria whispered suddenly. "Max and Liz's baby isn't Tiponi..."

"...Liz is," Michael finished, staring at her.

"She's one of us," Isabel said, her voice barely audible.

Max gently scooped Liz into his arms and stood up, cradling her limp body to his chest. Then, as the others watched, he carried her out of the cave and disappeared outside into the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I originally planned to write a sequel. It would have been called "And I Was Meant For You." Obviously that never happened, so I'm sorry to anyone who read this whole thing and wondered what was going to happen next.


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